


His Jotun Instincts

by TesseractGlow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Frostiron - Fandom, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alfheim, Angst, Bloody, Bottom Tony, Bottom Tony Stark, Confused Loki, Feels, Fluff, FrostIron - Freeform, IronFrost - Freeform, Jotun Loki, Jotunheim, Jötunn Loki, Love, M/M, Odin's a dick again, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Thor: The Dark World, Sexy Times, Smut, Tony you fucked up again, Top Loki, but also not really, instincts, long fic, predator loki, will involve avengers infinity war, will involve thor ragnarok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:29:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TesseractGlow/pseuds/TesseractGlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fairytale about a blue growly alien and an amused engineer.</p><p>Tony has lost his way. The civil war and his rocky relationship with Pepper have left him feeling empty. However, after a freaky accident, he finds he's not the only one not feeling quite like himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After rewriting this chapter I finally managed to finish the cover! I hope you all like it :)

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was deadly quiet. A silence so oppressing, even the mice skittering around the rocky floor did not dare squeak. Perhaps it was the cold and damp in the cave which had the little creatures hiding. More likely the pests sensed a presence. Predatory, in pain and hungry. A small mouse may just have made a good snack. The calm shatters as chains clink together. Loki used to vaguely wonder how many years these shackles would hold him. At least he used to wonder that. As his body slowly started perishing from hunger and thirst, his own thoughts seemed to slip further and further away from him. Like trying to keep water in cupped hands, they spilled into nothingness. Until the only things the Jotun could do was pulling desperately at his bindings, roaring in rage and whimpering as the hunger pain tears through his belly. His mind feels fuzzy as time passes. When he feels lucid for a moment, he wonders…

 

Months before..

Loki smirks to himself. Everyone believes him dead. He has them all fooled yet again. The whole spectacle with the dark elves had proven to be a good outlet for his creative planning. Finally! Free from his glass box prison. The prison his mother claimed to be ‘for his own good’. A small stab of pain at the memory makes him grimace, nearly losing his elated sense of victory. As he continues down the golden hallway however, his good mood returns. The other guards nod respectfully at him. Indeed, he has chosen the right soldier to wear as a disguise. Just high enough in rank to not be questioned, but not high enough to attract much attention. It was also rather enjoyable to wear a helmet once again. Although his own was infinitely more refined than this common soldier’s. He takes in a deep breath as he reaches the throne room. Schooling his features into a sombre expression, he knocks. His plan falls to pieces as he steps over the threshold.

His Asgardian blood was the first thing that was ripped away from him. It hurt more than he could bear. His disguise had flickered away, leaving him writhing like a worm at the feet of his father’s throne. Odin had listened to his screams and pleas calmly. His one eye trained on the figure on the floor as he held out a hand to stop others from rushing to the prince’s aid. The only sign of distress in the king were the white knuckles gripping his staff tightly. He tapped Gungnir on the ground and yelled for silence. The panicked guards and staff which had rushed in at the commotion fell silent to listen. Their dumb struck expressions still aimed at the former prince, whose fair skin cracked and peeled before their very eyes, showing a bright blue. “Loki of Jotunheim! For attempted deceit and treason against the crown, I strip you of your illusions.“ Odins voice thundered through the audience, grating against Loki’s pained and raw ears. “I strip you of your magic. And your title as my son. You shall have what you deserve. Your punishment is to be locked away like the beast you were born as!” As the guards came forwards and started to drag the Jotun away, his vision wavered until he gave in to unconsciousness.  
The cave was located deep underground, the only light coming from an undying small flame one of his captors had so graciously left behind. Loki doubted it was out of the goodness of their heart. More likely they had simply forgotten the small thing flickering in the corner after having tied him down. Nevertheless, he felt grateful for it. The dancing shadows being his only company, he spent hours mindlessly staring at them. His mind became numb to the world. The only thing unwilling to surrender was his body, instinctually fighting to keep breathing. Keep the heart beating. In the beginning he had tried to break his chains, had raged and screeched until his wrists bled. It was of no use. The chains were magicked against him, heating up painfully every time he tried to free himself. So, he eventually stopped trying. Stopped thinking. Just breathing.

 

Meanwhile on earth a certain inventor has found himself in some trouble of his own. The government had lovingly dubbed it ‘the Civil war’. Tony however failed to see anything civil in the way captain asspants had tried to behead him with the shield his father made him. After the dust had settled and everything went back to semi-normal, he isolated himself. Thinking he needed a serious break he threw himself into his work almost viciously. Weeks went by. He’s shut in his laboratory in one of his safe houses, papers and information piling up around him until he became nearly cross eyed at just thinking about it all. All his suits and toys were upgraded. Just when he had nearly given up and returned to New York to beg Pepper’s forgiveness for disappearing, the most amazing thing fell in his lap. Well, not in his lap per sé, but close enough. It wasn’t his fault after all that Friday couldn’t keep her sticky fingers out of F.B.I. files! And what those digital fingers had brought him! Doom’s latest, on crappy paper, pencil drawn sketches for his portals…Honestly. A disgrace to all modern scientists. Space travel, interdimensional travel and even time travel! All things right there on paper. Although, as Tony noticed with a sinking feeling, a lot of the formulas had magic involved. He sighed. Only one of the designs seemed to be made completely using good old science. A portal to another realm. Obviously, the engineer just had to try it out. He may hate the metal faced freak, but even Tony Stark must admit brilliance when he sees it. And if there is one thing dr. Doom was good at it was messing with time and space. Two days of building in a manic frenzy went by. The portal had taken shape, a huge round ring of metal and wires. Something must be wrong with the formulas however, as the machine refused to turn on. Tony eyed it resentfully. Two days lost, spent making a modern sculpture for all it’s worth. Absentmindedly he wondered whether he could sell it as one. Locating an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels, he set to drowning his sorrows. After having downed nearly half the bottle, he laid back in his recliner seat. Having bought the ugly black thing for exactly this occasion. Where he feels loose limbed and fuzzy. He picked at his nails, eyes sliding back to the portal again and again. His brain whirred. More Jack Daniels seemed to be the necessary solution. Swallowing another mouthful, he staggered upright, grabbing a small alien stone still left from the Chitauri invasion. He didn’t know why he did it. The stone, although glowing, had never revealed any special powers. Perhaps it was the drink, or the frustration at having failed at making his portal, but he threw the stone right through the metal arch. A loud whirr, a bang, and everything went dark.


	2. Into the cave.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and will remain the same now.

Loki had managed to fall into a restless sleep. Weakened and exhausted, his body had given in to his Jotun self. It made him physically feel a tad better, his blue skin being more adept to dealing with the chilly temperatures, slightly thicker than his usual skin. It was an attribute of the Jotuns which had once upon a time, proven to be a difficult thing to deal with for the Asgardians. Their skin is harder to pierce, they had compensated in battle by wielding dwarven forged weaponry during the great war. Not that any of this concerned Loki at that moment. He merely laid there, unconscious. A sudden bang awoke him. Loki jerked, teeth bared, wildly looking for the source of the racket. His blood red eyes fell upon a staggering man, who appeared to have come out of nowhere. The man balanced himself clumsily against a wall. He blinked stupidly and stared around. Finally, the man’s gaze came to rest on Loki, causing him to stiffen. Inhaling a sharp breath, he muttered: “Shit…” 

Tony was dead. That, or very close to it. Only that could explain the piercing headache pounding through his brain. The bourbon in his stomach rebelled, making him retch. Blinking away the tears welling up in his eyes, he stared at Loki. This had to be a dream. Or an exhaustion fuelled, alcohol induced hallucination. Although those usually came to Tony with way brighter colours and/or loud noises. Last time he had one of those episodes, it lasted an hour! His brain had played ‘the wheels on the bus’ over and over again, until he had collapsed into an undignified heap outside his favourite bar. The tabloids had a field day with that one. 

Shaking off his disorientation he took a hesitant step towards Loki. The ‘god’ seemed to have a severe case of frostbite. That or he suddenly began following some kind of new fashion trend. His skin showed a dull greyish blue in the dull light cast off the small flame. It’s patterned with intricate raised lines, like scars. His hair was tangled in long, ragged strands. Dull bruising around his eyes spoke of many restless nights. He looked quite ill. But of all those things, it was his eyes that unsettled Tony’s inebriated self most. They were a deep blood red, gleaming, no whites to be seen. He hesitated once more, because there was no recognition at all in those leering eyes. Instead of the indignant rage he would have expected when being stumbled upon by an enemy, there was a purely predatory look. Not wanting to inch any closer, the engineer leaned against the wall again. “Wow…Erm… Reindeer games, that you?” The words felt odd in his mouth. The ridiculousness of this situation made it all seem quite unreal. Only now did he notice the rags barely covering Loki’s modesty. Loki stayed unnaturally still, still gazing at Tony in a hungry manner. For a second Tony could swear he’d spotted a glimpse of a sharp, pearly white fang. It was gone in a blink however. He rubbed his goatee nervously. He lifted his gaze to the silver chains which kept Loki imprisoned. The cuffs had small splatters of dried up blood on them. Obviously, the captive had tried wrenching himself free forcefully, before giving up. His blue body laid uncomfortably against the wall. Tony hid a wince. His shoulders and back must be in agony. He cleared his throat.

“So…Loki. Come here often? “He waited for an answer. The ‘god’ didn’t so much as blink. His piercing glare made Tony shift nervously on his feet. He bounced in place a little, restless. “In no mood to talk? Come on, I’m good company I swear. Although…I can’t offer you that drink I promised you.” He frowned slightly. “Then again, you’re the host in this situation. Quite rude of you not to offer refreshments.” The tense silence radiating form Loki was broken abruptly by a low growl. His thin lips peeling back, baring sharp white fangs at the mortal in front of him. The smell of another creature so tantalisingly close. Flesh and blood, in a soft package of skin, nearly within reach. The Jotun felt suddenly a thousand times more ravenous. His stomach contracted painfully. He twitched in his bounds, making the chains clatter loudly. The human didn’t back away however. “You look like death. Is this a new look? The blue I mean. Seems like you could do wi-“ Loki lunged forwards suddenly, teeth gnashing, legs flailing for a moment. Tony yelled in surprise and toppled backwards but had no time to gather his thoughts. A bright flash lit up the cave, emanating from the chains. A scream pierced the air. Loki writhed in pain, convulsing.  
“Alright...” Tony panted, eyeing the squirming form with a mixture of fear and exasperation. “Let’s not try that again. This..” He ran a hand over his chest, “..is not food. Capiche? I won’t become dinner without even being properly cooked first! I have standards.” The severity of the situation was only now creeping up on Tony. He was god knows were, with an enemy who was clearly out of his mind. Trapped. The pain inflicted on Loki seemed to have calmed him down however. He wasn’t looking at Tony as if he was an exceptionally juicy steak anymore. Instead he laid limply, whimpering. A faint twinge of pity unfurled in the humans’ stomach. Pain, imprisonment…It all hit a bit close to home. Licking his lips, he slowly rose to his feet again.

“I bet I could take those off.” He gestured to the chains, hoping beyond hope that there was still a bit of humanity left in him, and that he could understand even a word of what he was saying. Loki just looked back at him dully. His hair looked even messier than it did before, a gleam of sweat having formed on his bare chest, highlighting his protruding ribs further. “I mean, if you’d behave. I could be persuaded to just free you.”

It seemed like all the aggression had seeped out of the Jotun. Tony fiddled with his pockets, fingering a small army knife. His intellect kept screaming at him, telling him this was one of the stupid mistakes which would always end up in pain and destruction, but seeing the prisoner there on the ground, it jolted awake a deeply rooted hurt. Pain. Imprisonment. Chains and torture. A dark cave, the voices of laughter and jeering in languages he couldn’t understand. He shuddered. Taking in a deep breath he approached the slumped figure once more. Leaning over him, he grabbed one of his wrists and pulled it closer. Using his skilled fingers, the light of a small flash light and the flame, he started to work on breaking the shackles. Loki did not move, he was merely glowering and panting. Tony huffed at his expression. “Seriously. No need to be so cross with me.” As he twisted the knife, one of the cuffs clicked and fell open. “Also, if you attack me again I will kick your ass. So, behave.” He lowered his head again to work on freeing his other wrist. Five short tense minutes later, the chains laid on the ground. 

Tony jumped back, keen on getting out of the aliens reach now. Loki twitched. His head slowly raised to stare at Tony from under his messy black hair. The engineer swallowed and took some more steps back, nearly tripping on loose rocks. “So. Better now jeah?” Tony's flash light slowly ran out of battery. Loki was pushing himself onto his hands and feet. He was growling again. Before Tony could say something more, he was suddenly knocked to the ground, his head thudding painfully against the stone surface. He gripped his knife tighter, ready to defend himself, but instead of ripping into his skin, the Jotun grabbed at his pants. A loud ripping noise made Tony flinch. “Jezus fuck! Stop! I just saved your-” But Loki was already backing away. A crumpled chocolate bar was clutched in his fist. One long fingernail, resembling a claw ripped open the wrapping. Greedily he started to eat, ignoring the stunned mortal at his feet. Tony grumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up gingerly. “You could have asked you know.” 

When all the chocolate was gone, Loki seemed to have calmed down a bit. With held breath Tony waited for his next move. When no other attack came, he cleared his throat. “So…Feeling a bit better? Less murderous? I’ll have you know I must taste horrible, seeing as my diet has never been any good.” Loki shook his head. He attempted to stand but failed. His movements looked more human than Tony had yet seen tonight, which gave him some hope. He might just survive this latest fuck up. He blinks as Loki’s voice, raspy and unused shakes him out of his thoughts. “W…How…You?” A coughing fit interrupted him. 

Tony got the gist of his question though. “Well…I was experimenting with alien technology and some of dear Dr. Dooms’ schematics. And erm… I may or may not have been having company. Jack Daniels. Jeah so…Where are we?” He looked around as if hoping for a sign stating the name of the place. When no clue came in view, he turned his attention once more on the ‘god’. 

Loki shook his head again. “Need…To leave.” He pushed with great effort off the floor, stumbling into the other man, who fumbled a bit in surprise. Tony’s first urge was to push him away. The drawn and exhausted look on Loki’s face made him reconsider. After some rearranging of limbs Tony swung Loki’s arm around his shoulders. They stood there for a bit, the god breathing heavily. 

“Alright.” Tony sighed. “Do you know where to go?” Loki squinted around for a moment, and Tony could swear he saw his nostrils flare, catching scent of the outside. Faint but unmistakable, Loki turned towards it. He prodded Tony into moving that way. Then, slowly and painfully, they started making their way out of the cave. The darkness grows more and more oppressive the further they stagger. Soon Tony couldn’t see a thing. Without another choice he put his trust in Loki’s senses, put his trust in the man who once upon a time tried to destroy him. If he made it out of this alive, he would buy Pepper the biggest, most expensive apology cake ever.


	3. Predator.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki find their way out of the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and shall now remain the same.

They walked for about two hours before reaching a well-lit giant hall inside the cave. Stalactites hung from the ceiling up high. Lit torches were mounted all over the walls, making shadows dance feebly. Loki narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to stop the light from stinging his eyes. He scowled, the mortal he was leaning on for support turned his head, taking in the room. “This looks like something from out of a scary fucking movie. Or an unfurnished sex dungeon. Do you know where we are?”

Loki shook his head and continued walking to where he thought the exit to be, all the while holding onto Tony, who kept up a steady stream of commentary and questions. How so much noise could come out of such a small man was a mystery to him. It was like he felt a constant need to fill the air with nonsense, like it somehow calmed him. Or perhaps the man of iron just loved the sound of his own voice. He ignored him, feeling too tired. On and on the tunnels seemed to stretch. Until finally, after another hour, a cool breeze of air welcomed them outside. 

The fresh air hit Tony like a brick, chasing away the last remains of his drunkenness. Stars and moons shone brightly down on them. The sky was clear, and to Tony, quite a sight to behold. He had never been one to stray too far from cities. Visiting the calm of the country side had never held any appeal to him. But now, seeing the sky without all the air pollution he was so used to, he had to stop for a moment. He frowned. He had never payed much attention to things like astrophysics, but he was quite sure earth had only one moon, not seven. Before he could ask Loki about it however, the man had pushed away from him. He straightened up and pushed long black hair out of his face. After gazing in one direction for a moment, he stumbled down the hill they had been standing on. The grass was cold and slightly damp under his bare feet. He payed it no mind, relishing in the sensation of being outside again. Tony trotted after him, nearly slipping once or twice but managing somehow to stay upright. Loki snorted as he looked back to see the mortal cartwheeling his arms when the slippery grass had another go at him. At least he wasn’t talking anymore. His mood lifted greatly and it got even better when he reached a river. Tony grudgingly had to admit that Jotuns did have excellent senses. Being able to smell fresh air from quite a distance, that’s quite impressive. 

Without a second of hesitation Loki ripped off the rags which were covering his loins and slipped into the water. It felt cool and soothing. His abused skin tingled pleasantly as he waded out into the deep. Taking a few greedy gulps, he nearly forgot about his pursuer. That was until said man crashed through the low bushes surrounding the bottom of the hill, making a racket. Tony gaped in disbelief as he watched Loki. The water the Jotun had disappeared into was deep enough to reach his collarbones. It looked unpleasantly cold and dark, housing god knows what slippery slimy critters. 

He cleared his throat, noticing the abandoned loincloth next to him in the grass. “So. Naked. Huh. Well, now you are happily doing...whatever, care to explain where we are?” When no reply came he inched a bit closer to the edge of the water. Leaning in closer he raised his voice. “HEY! Where ARE we?” It was a bad sign that he missed the old Loki. That one had at least made some sense, window throwing notwithstanding. 

This time Loki seemed to have heard him though. He shook his drenched hair over his shoulders, red gaze piercing. Tony shifted nervously. The Jotun, seemingly finished bathing, slowly made his way back over. Getting back out of the water, he shook himself off, showering a spluttering Stark in water droplets. Then with a grunt, he plopped himself down in the grass. “Alf…heim.” He growled out, voice still hoarse. 

Tony blinked. He looked up at the moons, then back at Loki. His complexion had gone distinctly green. “Alfheim? Wait...Fuck! That’s one of the…The realms, isn’t it? That’s NOT where I wanted to go!” 

Loki watched in amusement for a moment as the human started muttering to himself in panic. Then he pushed himself to his knees. “I need to eat.” 

Tony blinked, startled out of his daze. “Right. Think there are any berry bushes nearby? Maybe a Burger King?” Loki had a coughing fit. Stark’s hovering uncertainly by his side. “I can go look for you if you want.” 

Loki scowled. “I do not need your pity. I…” His head snapped towards the river. There a bush rustled, and out came the oddest creature Tony had ever seen. As big as a pig, it waddled towards the water on four stumpy legs. It was nearly bald, with grey tufts of hair on its rat like snout. It bent down to drink. Before Tony could comment on the thing, Loki had slunk away, into the water again. He frowned, watching as the Jotun sneaked closer to the animal. It was over in a second. Loki had struck fast and mercilessly, grabbing the thing by its neck and pulling it into the water. For a moment they both went under with a loud splash, the animal’s screech drowned out abruptly. After awhile the water goes still once more. Tony looks on in disbelief as Loki returns and drops his prize at his feet. 

“Well…That was efficient. I’ll start a fire to barbeque it.” He tried not to look too unsettled. That was until Loki stooped down and sunk his teeth into the pink flesh with a sickening crunch. Tony reeled back in horror. Blood spurt everywhere, coating his shoes and Loki’s pale blue chest. He turned his head away from the gruesome scene. The sight of Loki on his knees, tearing viciously into the carcass was burned into his brain already however. It dawned on him then. Loki, this version of him at least, was a predator. Designed by nature to hunt and kill. He also was Tony’s only hope to return home. Stranded in this odd world, with no technology or civilization in sight, the engineer knew he was fucked. He was for all intends and purposes at Loki’s mercy for now. The absence of his suit stung. 

A tearing noise made him glance over. Loki was tearing parts off the corpse with his bare hands, still eating gleefully. Half his face was smeared red. He flicked a piece of skin aside, which flopped a bit too near Tony’s feet. Tony gags and dashes to a nearby tree, heaving. When he finished clearing out the contents of his stomach on some unsuspecting shrubbery, he turned back towards Loki. 

“That…Was gross. Seriously, and this is coming from a guy who once left a peanut butter and jelly sandwich stuck on the wall for two months.” He slowly made his way back. He blinked. Loki was luckily finished with his meal. The bones and some scraps were all that was left. But the thing that got his attention was Loki himself. He looked…Normal once more. His blue skin had given way to his regular colour. The blood shone more noticeable on his naked skin now. Tony bit his lower lip, unsure how to go on from there. “So. Feeling better now? Less…Murder-y?” 

The ‘god’ sent him a glare, then turned to once again wash himself off in the stream. “Don’t talk about it.” He snapped before lowering himself into the water. 

To his outrage Tony just shrugged. “What. About the fact that you turn blue and feel the need to kill local fauna sometimes? Fine.” 

“I was starving.” 

“Yes. I noticed. I noticed it right about when you tried to bite a chunk out of me.” He grumbles a little. 

Loki eyed him suspiciously. He frowned. In the haze of his exhausted and pained state, he had half thought his mind had conjured Stark randomly, but there he stood, as small and annoying as he’d been back in his tower. Still as foolishly brave as ever. This was not a fantasy he’d created to shield himself from his captivity. Anthony Edward Stark. There on Alfheim. He hummed. “How did you get here?” 

The idiotic mortal had the audacity to roll his eyes at him, making Loki supress the need to throttle him. “Yeah yeah, things went wrong. No need to rub it in. That is what tends to happen when one is a genius experimenting. I’m more interested in why you went all smurf. Was that your Jotun form?” 

“It appears so.” Loki sounded tired, nudging the filthy rags on the ground with his toes. “Ugh…these rags are disgusting.” He kicks them further away. Tony’s eyes slid down his body, lingering for a moment on his genitals. He quickly averted his gaze, coughing a little. Loki arched an eyebrow. A smug smirk curved his lips as he watched Tony scratching his goatee, flustered. 

“You gonna take something on, or have you embraced life as a nudist?” Tony said. 

“You do not seem averse to my nudity.” 

Tony pulled a face. “I’ve seen better. You look like a skeleton. Unlike what the tabloids say, I’m not into anorexic models. I enjoy some meat on them bones. Although that-” He gestured to Loki’s groin. “-is quite impressive. Ever killed anyone with it?” 

A light flush crept up the fallen prince’s cheeks. He growled. “You have quite the death wish, Stark.” His eyes flashed dangerously. He seemed to consider the man in front of him before turning suddenly and walking off. He headed towards the forest, his long legs carrying him away rapidly. 

Tony blinked. “Hey!” He yelled and starting to jog after him. “You need to get me off of this planet!” He stumbled a little. When they made some headway into the forest, Loki suddenly stopped. He swayed on his feet, catching himself against a tree. He sighed deeply, feeling faint. The hundred meters they’d walked felt like miles to his battered body.   
Tony skidded to a halt next to him. He kept himself safely out of grabbing distance however, not wishing to repeat the episode in the cave. “So, you’ve been in there for a while huh. How long exactly?” 

“Since after I helped saving the 9 realms from the dark elves..” He scoffed. “Didn’t my dearest ‘brother’ tell you?” 

Tony licked his lips. “Oh…Well he did say something along those lines. He forgot to mention you were chained up in the dark like an animal though. He said you were dead, Heroically slain in the battle. He insisted on having a toast on you and everything.” 

Loki’s face betrayed no emotion. “I see…Well it’s Odin’s doing. He…” He paused for a bit. “I have no powers anymore. My magic is blocked from me. Perhaps that is why my… Jotun self manifested so aggressively. Apparently, I am still quite strong in that form.” His voice was carefully neutral, but Tony detected a hint of disgust in his eyes. 

Tony’s facial expression went from thoughtful to shocked. “Wait…no MAGIC? How are you gonna get us out of here?” 

“Who said I’d take you anywhere.” 

The haughty look he sent Tony almost transported him back in time, he could recall the giant golden horns quite easily. Tony snorted. “Of course you will. It looks like you can’t walk more than a few steps yet without keeling over. And maybe you’ll see a squirrel, turn blue and chase after it for eternity.” He smirks. “And let’s not forget I just rescued your ass. I’m your knight in shining armour! Well, without the armour, at the moment.” He huffs. His leg started jiggling impatiently as he waited for an answer. 

Loki stayed silent for a while, fingers scratching over the rough bark of the tree. Tony almost expected no answer, but just when he opened his mouth to argue some more, Loki spoke up. “Secret pathway. It’s located at the other end of this realm.” He sighed. “And as I don’t have magic at my disposal, it will take a long time to get there. 

“Right.” Tony vehemently tried not to think about all the time Loki would have to murder him. He bit his lower lip nervously. A sudden sharp sting in his stomach shook him out of it. His stomach growled. 

Loki’s head shot up. Pushing himself away from his tree, he straightened up. “Hungry?” 

The mortal looked at him sheepishly. He shrugged. “Jeah well, I chucked up my insides not long ago.” 

Loki snorted. “Yes.. Human bodies are rather weak regarding illnesses and gruesome sights. We should find a place for shelter and build a fire. I could make some dinner. My vision is pretty good in the dark, so hunting shouldn’t be a problem. Well..” He smirked. “you saw that.” 

Tony scowled. Looking pointedly down at Loki’s cock, he grunted. “And we need to find some clothes.” 

The Asgardian crossed his arms and arched an elegant eyebrow. “Does it offend you?” They started walking again, this time more slowly. “I can’t magic clothing at the moment, so live with it.” 

Tony huffs. “Make yourself a pair of ice pants then! Maybe the cold would help shrink down your monstrosity a bit.” 

Loki let out a surprised little laugh, startling Tony so badly he tripped over some tree roots. As he lands face first into the dirt, he suddenly remembered why he dislikes nature so much. Loki chuckled, eyes twinkling with amusement as he watches Tony scramble back up. “I’ll look out for other travellers to steal from, if my nudity makes you feel too insecure. These woods aren’t that empty.” 

Tony bristled. “Insecure? I’ll have you know, tha-” 

Loki waves a dismissive hand at him. “Or I’ll wait until we reach a village. I’m not cold anyways, so why should I bother?” 

A branch took that moment to snap right into Tony’s face, making him redirect his glare from Loki to every other branch near them. “Fuck! We better get out of here and quick! Well, me at least. I’m not made for life in the wild.” 

“Hah. Quickly. It’ll take more than a month of travelling to get there by foot. We could find dragons along the way but those are hard to come across lately.” 

Tony abandoned his anger towards the shrubbery in favour of gaping at his companion. “D-dragons? Like real, FLYING, fire breathing badass DRAGONS?” 

Loki let a branch snap hard into his chest. “Yes. Horses aren’t used that often here, because of all the dense forest, obviously.” 

Tony huffed again, throwing a small rock at the back of the god’s head. “Watch the merchandise, blueberry. Also, we are SO taking a dragon!” 

Loki glances behind him, growling, his sharp teeth bared. 

“Alright, alright… Don’t poke papa smurf. Got it. Also, I feel like I should warn you. I’ve lived on booze and junk food my entire life. I’ll taste like a heart attack.”

 

They came to a halt at the bottom of a giant tree. Its lowest branches bowed to the ground, creating a cover against the night sky with bright green leaves. As Tony craned his neck to look up at the top, Loki stooped down, starting to collect giant leaves and sweeping them into a pile under the branches. Tony noticed what he was doing and started to help. It felt like the least he could do, since he knew he was useless in this situation at the moment. That didn’t sit well with the genius. Not at all. He kicked at some branches in frustration. “So, this is our luxury hotel isn’t it? A pile of leaves.” He rubbed at his eyes. “I’m getting too old for this.” 

“You could always sleep out in the open on the grass. I shall laugh most heartily when some animal comes to eat you.” 

Before Tony can retort, he’s grabbed roughly by the arm and thrown unceremoniously on the leafy mattress. He let out a squeak, something he would deny to the day he died. Loki growled at him to stay put, then disappeared into the dark to hunt. Fortunately, it didn’t take long. After he killed some furry rabbit sized creatures, he skinned them using a sharp rock he found. After having thrown away the organs, he finally returned to the camp. Tony visibly tried hiding his disgust.

 

They ended up making a fire together and roasted the odd animals. They tasted a bit salty, but otherwise fine. The mortal nearly managed to eat one entire creature. Loki amused himself by throwing small bones at him. That went okay until Tony snapped and promptly threw an entire carcass at Loki’s head. When he reacted by turning a little blue and growly, they decided to call it a night. It was rather cosy, Tony supposed. The darkness wasn’t too oppressive, and the only noise breaking the silence were some insects chirping. Sleep evaded him however. Long after Loki fell asleep, he laid there. He spent hours thinking about all sorts of things, like dragons, Pepper, his company and home. He finally drifted off, worrying about his friends back on earth, so far away.


	4. Nature is evil.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony doesn't have a nice experience while looking for materials in the forest. Or does he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and will remain the same now.

Tony woke up dazed and still tired. Sunlight filtered through their leafy cover, creating small specks of green light. He sat up with a pitiful groan and stretched, attempting to work out the kinks in his back. Apparently sleeping on leaves was not that comfortable. Who knew. His sleepiness disappeared instantly when he noticed the lack of Loki next to him. He felt his heart stop for a moment. If he’d left…Well, then Tony was officially stranded. Crawling out of the branches he stood up. It was a very warm morning without a single cloud in sight. He took a moment to take in his surroundings. The trees around him were gigantic, rising high up into the sky. The small clearing in which they had put the fire that night was empty. He spotted a few twittering birds hopping around it, looking for scraps. One small blue bird tweeted in victory, then flew off with a piece of meat clutched in its long beak. They must have dropped some the night before. Not to mention they hadn’t discarded of the leftover bones and such. Tony suddenly glanced around in suspicion. Luckily no predator or scavenger bigger than the birds had shown up. He huffed, wiped some dirt off his pants and called out: “Loki! Where are you!” The birds in the clearing scattered in fright. One of the bravest ones settled himself on a branch and tweeted at him disapprovingly. Tony scowled at it. It was way too early to be judged, whether by a feather ball or not. “Fuck off.” He muttered to it. The bird puffed its feathers indignantly. It kept its beady black eyes on him as he started searching around for his travel buddy, even following him as he crept deeper into the trees. “Okay. This isn’t funny. Loki!? Get your precious ass over here!” He attempted to keep the panic from his voice, but it cracked a few times as he called out repeatedly. Briefly he considered climbing a tree. Staying on the ground in this odd forest seemed unwise. The plants looked familiar, yet slightly off somehow. The colours were more vivid than on earth. Weird large flowers dotted between the roots, splattering different colours in the green scenery. Bright yellowish vines hung limply from the branches. Birdsong and the chirrups of insects filled the air, accompanied by the gentle rustling of leaves. 

Tony swallowed. He backtracked to the camp, deciding he’d wait for Loki there. He counted in his head. Once he reached 15 minutes and 23 seconds, there was a loud cracking noise. It came from one of the bushes surrounding the clearing. Tony quickly rolled back in the small hide out they’d slept in. He peered out, shoulders tense. A sigh of relief escaped him as Loki appeared. This time however, he wasn’t naked. He was wearing dark brown trousers which looked rather old. They sagged low on his bony hips, like they were made for someone with a lot more stomach. The Asgardian had fixed this problem by tying it around his waist with a vine. Tony crawled out into the open again, attempting to look like he just woke up. He hoped Loki didn’t hear him freaking out. The last thing he needed right now was to alert him on how much being alone there unsettled him. Loki didn’t seem to pay him much attention. He was busy digging some mystery meat out of a leather bag and dumped it onto a big leaf. Two water bags joined it on the ground, before Loki turned to the fire pit. When the fire crackled again, Tony cleared his throat. “Good morning. Where did you get all this?” He’d thought it to be a very reasonable question. He bristled as Loki gave him a scornful look in response. 

“Some unlucky traveller…” 

Tony blinked. “Wait. You didn’t kill him, did you? Is THIS his meat?!” 

Loki snorted in response. It did nothing to soothe the engineer’s irritation. “Maybe.” Tony felt his heart drop. He stared until Loki’s lips quirked into a smirk. “No. I merely stole his bags and trousers. I did let him keep his shirt.” 

“Oh you did, did you? How kind of you.” Tony ran a hand through his messy hair. He grabbed one of the water bags and fiddled the cap open, taking a long drink. “For fucks sake, next time just say you didn’t commit murder to begin with. We’ll have to trust each other to get out of here in one piece.”

Loki arched an eyebrow at him. “You demand me to be trustworthy. Yet, I believe it is you who needs my help.” Putting the meat on the fire, he hummed happily. “So if anyone gets to demand things, mortal, it is me. Now go weave a basket.” 

Tony sputtered, staring at him wide eyed. “What?” 

Loki’s smirk widened. “Are you not supposed to be a genius? Is a simple request too much to handle for your pathetic human brain?” 

“It’s not. I get that you want to play little red riding hood, but what do I use for rope hm? Shall I use your hair?” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Search for things in the forest. Honestly.” 

Grumbling, Tony walked off. He remembered the vines he’d spotted earlier and hastened towards the spot. It wasn’t too hard to find. Once or twice, he thought he spotted the judgemental blue bird from earlier watching him. He had to dodge some spider webs, one nearly engulfing his face as he ducked under two low branches. The big flowers on closer inspection, had small sharp teeth embedded in between their petals. Tony resolutely decided not to step on one of them. After a little bit of searching, he found what he was looking for. He grinned. The vines were just thin enough to be able to use as rope, and thick enough to look sturdy. Taking out his small pocket knife he flicked it open, reaching up to yank some off a tree. He yelped. The plant had reached back, grabbing him by the wrist. Stumbling backwards, he tried shaking it off. The plant was determined not to release him however, creeping further up his arm and wrapping itself around his chest. This was it, Tony thought wildly. After everything, it was a plant that would crush him to death. In his struggle he had dropped the knife. It laid uselessly on the grass, out of his reach. The vines were now everywhere, surrounding him completely. They pulled him closer to the tree. Tony swallowed, ditched his pride and yelled for Loki in the hope he could still hear him. Some of the plant slid under his shirt, petting at his sides. He squirmed. The long tentacle like vines felt quite cool and soft on his skin. He tried shaking it off again, panting with the effort of it. He might as well not have done anything. The plant didn’t budge. On the contrary, it was now tracing circles into his skin, moving upwards. Tony gasped as two of them reached his nipples, which hardened under the assault. He felt his face flush. 

Of course, that was the moment Loki appeared. He had debated whether to come to Tony’s aid or not. It would be easier for him to travel alone. Curiosity won out in the end though. He had ran, following his ears to where the racket was taking place. When he found the smaller man stuck in the vines, he blinked, then snorted. “Really Stark. I had heard of your incredible whorishness, but I hadn’t expected you to molest the scenery.” 

The vines had toppled Tony onto his back. He squirmed as they wormed around his body, tickling him. “J-just help me! They grabbed me when I…Ahaha!” 

Loki chuckled. He took a seat on a fallen log to watch. “You expect me to help you. You got yourself into this mess.” 

Tony’s giggles increased in volume. “Come o-on how the hell…hahah…HEY!” One of the vines had snuck into the back of his pants. It slid between his ass cheeks, the tip of it nudging his testicles. He swallowed, tensing up further. The sneaky tentacle undulated slowly. He shivered. “Alright, Loki get it off. This plant i-is a bit too friendly for my taste.”

Loki smirked slyly, leaning his chin on his hand. “Ah, but it’s a good show.” He stared at the vine disappearing into Tony’s pants and absentmindedly noticed the sensual curve of his butt. For a mortal, this man was in good shape. Broad shouldered with just enough muscles. Much more pleasant than the warriors on Asgard, who trained until they had no more soft edges. 

Tony grit his teeth, sending a glare at him which didn’t do much. His cheeks were flushed pink, short brown hair tousled…he looked positively edible to Loki. Tony opened his mouth again but groaned as the vine gently rubbed at his entrance. His head fell forwards, hiding from the other man’s gaze. He growled. “Remind me to send a box o-of hentai movies to your ngh…doorstep.” To his mortification he felt his cock swell. He bit his lower lip, willing it away. 

Loki frowns at him, eyes still fixated on him. “What movies?” He asked, his voice low. He patiently waited for a response.

“Hentai movies? Erm…Animated girls being molested by different things, like tentacles a-and… Aliens. And possibly kitchen appliances.” He hissed suddenly, twitching as he felt the vine press down harder, the tip of it dipping inside. He ignored his cock twitching in appreciation. This was more than humiliating. He sent Loki a pleading look. “Come on ice princess, just KILL this thing!”

Loki cocked his head and sighed. “Pity.” To Tony’s surprise he shifted into his Jotun form, pale skin giving way to the deep blue as he stretched out an arm. Ice began creeping down from his fingertips, then up, forming a sharp looking blade of ice. He began hacking at the vines, releasing the poor molested mortal from the plants’ clutches. Tony rolled away the second he felt the grip slacken, yanking the now limp vine out of his pants. He avoided Loki’s eyes as he plopped down in the grass to catch his breath. In fascination he watched the Jotun transform back into his Asgardian appearance. The ice blade melted away quickly. “There.” Loki stated, throwing some of the now dead vines at the other. “Now go and make the damned basket.” And with that he turned and began walking back to their little camp. 

Tony groaned. He never hated nature as much as now. The horrible realization that he’s still half hard made him wince. That whole ordeal had been unpleasant. He already felt vulnerable before, but now he knew even the plants in this realm were dangerous… And none other than Loki Odinson had watched him, then saved him from his embarrassing fate. He shook his head. Getting slowly to his feet he grabbed some of the dead vines and shook them vigorously, as if to prove his strength to the plant. “Fine. I’ll build a fucking basket. And maybe I’ll still have enough time after that to come back and burn this place down.” He muttered, following in Loki’s tracks.

 

When he returned he sat down next to Loki. His mouth watered at the smell of food. Loki hummed, handing him a stick with some roasted meat on it. Tony dug in enthusiastically. With cheeks bulging, he turned to the other. “You couldn’t have caught something more delicious, like a wild fried chicken?” 

Loki snorted. “Well if you don’t like it, how about…that.” He pointed at some bloody and furry leftovers from his own breakfast. 

Tony quickly looked away, swallowing his mouthful of food with difficulty. “Ugh…why did you leave that there?” 

Loki shrugs, handing him some more meat and a water pouch. “Be grateful it’s not you on the stick.” 

“What. Frost giants like eating humans? Can you buy us in your icy grocery stores? In convenient plastic packaging?” He grinned. 

The frost giant rolled his eyes grumpily. “No. It is impossible for Jotuns to come down to earth and eat humans without the casket of ancient winters. But in the condition I was in, I could have eaten you. Be glad you had a snack on you.” 

Tony hummed, pushing down to flicker of fear in favour of grinning. He wriggled his eyebrows. “I know I’m delicious.” 

Loki didn’t deign to give a response. He picked at some of the meat for a while. A comfortable silence fell between them. After ten minutes Loki broke it. “So. What caused you to appear here again?” 

Tony sighed deeply. He played with a small bone, tossing it up into the air and catching it. “Well, the story goes like this. I was bored, alone and drunk.” 

Loki sniffed. “Are you ever sober?” 

“Yes. Right now, unfortunately.” He nudged Loki in the ribs with his elbow. “Don’t interrupt if you want the full story. So, I was drunk and angry. I had gotten my hands on some Doctor Doom technology. You know, the guy who time travels and fucks with portals?” 

Loki groaned. “Not that guy.” 

The engineer perked up, interested. “You know him? BFV’s, are you?” At Loki’s pained look he clarified himself. “Best friend villains.” 

Loki snorted. “Hardly. I’m not fond of him. He caused me some trouble in the past. Anyway, so his technology?” 

“Oh yeah. It looked like a half-assed portal. I tried to fix it but was stuck. It was quite frustrating. And well, then Jack Daniels happened. And here I am. I honestly am vague on what happened after that. But enough about me, what about you? How did you end up nailed to the ground like some modern art piece?”

Loki growled a little. He rubbed at his ribs, lamenting the weight he lost during his imprisonment. “Odin. I made an attempt on his life. But apparently, he saw it coming. And…” He sighed. “I was thwarted. He got tired of me and placed a curse on me. I had no way of protecting myself. I might have underestimated him.” A gloom settled itself over him.

Tony whistled, low. “That’s a rather harsh time out he put you in though.” 

“Mh. I WILL kill him however. The plans shall just have to be changed. I believe I should thank you for getting me out.” He studied the shorter man closely. He looked relaxed in his presence. Whether or not this was a bluff remained to be seen. 

Tony shrugged “It was sorta an accident? If I had been sober I would have waited until you at least got your speech back to toddler level. But I was curious and reckless. Story of my life.” He smiled wryly. “It drives my friends insane actually.” He looked far away and small in that moment. 

Loki hummed. He caught himself leaning into Stark's personal space, and before it registered what he was doing, he had kissed him. A mere brush of the lips, almost soothing. Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. He watched as Loki leant back again. He looked stricken, as if he wasn’t the one who had just initiated the contact. Loki shook his head, trying to figure out the instinct that had driven him to kiss this mortal. That part of him which was demanding even now he push closer to Tony and grab hold of him. He stood up and took a few steps back. 

Tony frowned up at him, still looking stunned. “Oooo…kay? You alright there, reindeer games?” 

Loki shook his head, trying to silence the instinct. He smirked, trying to look relaxed. “I thought you’d like that. I saw how you looked at me…Well a certain part at least.” He purred, eyes glinting. 

Tony pulled a face. “Yeah right, dream on sugarbuns.” He cleared his throat. “So. The plants around here. I want to recognize the dangerous ones, in case I’m alone again. Yeh?”

Loki nodded. “After you’ve finished making your basket. Get on with it. I won’t stand for laziness. When it’s done I’ll teach you. We can leave tomorrow morning.” 

 

Tony nodded and got up, grateful for the excuse to get away from Loki for a bit. He needed to get his mind in order.


	5. Lagoon.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's confused when his instincts get him in a heated mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and will remain the same now :)

After a long day of basket weaving and learning about Alfheim, they turned in early that evening. Tony was asleep as soon as he’d found a comfortable position in their nest of leaves. The next morning was foggy, the clouds seemingly having lowered themselves down to swirl over the grounds. The temperature was chilly. Loki woke up before Tony once again. The mortal had undoubtedly exhausted himself the day before, running around in excitement. Loki, who was still managing to keep his Jotun form under control, heaved a sigh, then left him to sleep a bit more. Hopefully he would be well rested and of some use to him later. He found breakfast after a bit of searching. It was a nest of unattended eggs, five in total. He lingered around the nest for a while longer in hopes of catching the birds, but left when it became apparent they wouldn’t return. Slightly disappointed he returned to the clearing. Putting the eggs safely on top of the leather bag, he crouched down next to Tony. He tapped his shoulder. When the only response he received was a grunt, he prodded him harder. 

“Nooo…Pep…” the genius mumbled intelligently, rolling over. “Two more minutes.” 

Loki rolled his eyes. A slow smirk curved his lips as he bent over the sleepy man, pressing their mouths together softly. Tony hummed and reached up, tangling his fingers in the other’s dark hair and kissing him lazily. Loki tried to ignore the sudden swooping feeling in his stomach. He crowded closer, pressing more insistently into the kiss. Brown eyes flickered open, catching his gaze. 

Tony jerked backwards abruptly, banging his head on the ground. Leaves scattered everywhere. “What the hell? Loki!” He’d been dreaming of lazy mornings with Pepper, sleeping in their luxurious bed together. Now the image of the dream faded rapidly, only leaving Loki’s amused face staring down at him. 

The god chuckled. “Breakfast” he said, straightening up. He ran a hand through his long hair to smooth it down a little. 

With a vicious sense of satisfaction, Tony noted that it didn’t help. His hair was wavy and sticking out in odd angles around his pale face. Tony didn’t think he looked any better, but at the very least the usually so put together prince was suffering too. He frowned as he spotted the eggs. “Please tell me you’ve got a pan and some butter hidden somewhere?” He asked, a pleading look in his eyes. Loki shook his head, then picked up one of the eggs and cracked it. He tipped his head back and swallowed the slimy contents in one gulp. Stark watched on in horror. “That’s just plain wrong” he moaned. 

Loki shot him an exasperated look. “Do I need to remind you we’re in the middle of a forest, every minute?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I’ll pass” he grunted. “When we pass a donut tree, lemme know.” 

“Honestly. Fine, all mine then. Starve for all I care.” He ate them all in rapid succession, while Tony sat there shivering miserably. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to fend off the chill. It didn’t help much. More than ever he wished he’d been wearing a jacket when he’d tumbled through the portal. Or at least something warmer than his black tank top and a light pair of trousers. There was no use moping about it now however. To his annoyance Loki didn’t seem affected by the cold in the slightest.  
When Loki finished his rather disgusting meal, he glanced down at the shivering man and smirked. “Run a few laps.” He suggested carelessly.  
Tony scowled. “Nah-ah. I don’t do running. Unless it’s towards a giant cake with strippers inside it.” 

“Then by all means, keep being cold. However, if you get sick I’m leaving you behind. I have no need of pets slowing me down.” 

Tony spluttered in indignation, which only seemed to lift Loki’s mood even further. 

“Don’t fret, mortal, you’ll get warm walking. The sun’s rising quickly so it’ll be fine.” He handed him a water pouch after having sipped from it. 

Tony finished it in greedy gulps, then stretched. Getting up, he shook his body trying to feel his feet again. “Let’s go then, off to find some dragons. I never thought I’d say that sentence outside of a Dungeons & Dragons game.” Thinking about dragons made Tony’s spirits lift somewhat. Not for long however. 

It seemed Loki was determined to destroy his hopes and dreams. “You do not honestly believe we are going to look for them.” he drawled in that annoying mightier-than-thou way. “We are heading towards where the pathway is hidden. If we happen to see some traces of the beasts… then maybe. But like I said before, they are very rare.” 

Tony groaned. “Fine then, Mr. Party Pooper.” He pouted slightly. It was an unfortunate character trait that annoyed many a Shield worker and of course Pepper. He himself would die before admitting to partaking in pouting sessions when things don’t go his way. Besides, men don’t pout, they sulk handsomely. Loki was one of those unfortunate souls who didn’t seem to think his sulking as handsome though. He merely arched an eyebrow in return. Tony gave up his pout as a lost cause. “Hey, is there any sort of tech here? I don’t fancy running around unarmed.” 

“No, only in the cities, which are very far away.” Loki stretched, not looking concerned in the slightest. He turned on his heel, gathered up the supplies and then set out at a steady pace. Tony followed, carrying some of the refilled water pouches over his shoulder. “I’m guessing there’s no wifi either,” he grumbled. 

The walk was tedious and boring. They passed by endless amounts of trees, only interrupted by the occasional creek or trail. After a few hours, even the unfamiliar plant life and occasional critters weren’t enough to occupy Tony’s brain anymore. Luckily, he stumbled upon some bushes with fat berries along the way. After having asked Loki, he quickly picked as many as he could and ate some. The rest was now hidden safely in his pockets. They tasted sweet, but oddly also slightly salty. Now with his stomach full, the boredom set back in full force. He abruptly noticed Loki wasn’t walking next to him anymore. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted him lagging slightly behind, eyes firmly fixed on his backside. Tony cleared his throat pointedly, causing the other man’s head to snap up guiltily. And if he wasn’t very much mistaken, the faintest blush appeared over those sharp cheekbones. Tony grinned. Loki scowled. He quickened his pace again, until they were once more shoulder to shoulder. Or well, close to it. Tony noted with disdain the difference in their height. The fact that he was rather small for an American man had always rankled him a little and to see it so pronounced now… It didn’t sit well with him. “So. How long have you been here again, more precisely?” he asked in an attempt at normal conversation. It fell rather flat. 

Loki’s expression went pinched, as if he’d rather talk about anything but his shameful imprisonment. When he answered however, his tone was even and pleasant. “I have no idea which year it is. So, I don’t know, exactly.” 

“Oh. Well it’s 2017 sweet blueberry pie.” He glared at a big spider suspiciously and bent down a little to avoid its web. He swore he could hear the blasted arachnid bemoaning the fact the web was going to miss his head. All spider related thoughts were zapped from his mind as he felt a hand clutching his butt. It startled him so badly he failed to dodge the next web, which caught him full on in the face in the end. He halted. Sputtering, he wiped at his face to get it off. 

Loki sniggered, leaning against a tree. “Aha. A while then…More than a year in the very least I was held in that blasted cave.” 

Tony turned his glower on him, reaching behind him to swat the offending hand away. “This ass isn’t cheap you know. Now if you want to talk about my cock, that’s a whoooole different story.” 

“Oh?” Loki purred. His eyes glittered mischievously. “Do tell.” The change in his mood was a little odd. 

Tony smirked. “I’m sure you know of my reputation on earth. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist… I took my duty to please the ladies quite seriously.”

“Ah yes, I have heard the tales of your whorishness. However, one does not need to have decent… equipment to be a wench.” His eyes fell on Tony’s crotch meaningfully. 

Tony bristled. “Of course it’s decent! No, it’s more than that. My dick is the pinnacle of male perfection, thank you very much.” 

Loki chuckled. “You are being awfully defensive.” 

Tony noticed the Asgardian wasn’t looking quite as pale anymore. In the afternoon sun, one could even say he looked handsome. A bit too malnourished and tired still, yes, but there was a strength radiating from him that was… attractive. He walked elegantly and confidently, like the eyes of the world were fixed on him at all times, not just the forest critters’. His arms and legs were long, with wiry muscles that promised to fill out as he regained his weight. He shook his head. It wouldn’t do any good to fawn over his tentative ally. If he let his urges interfere with his plans, he might never make it home. 

As Tony was in his own world debating against himself, Loki had crept closer. Light fingers brushed over the front of his trousers, resting on his goodies for a few seconds. The smaller man jumped back slightly. Loki was leaning in, smirking broadly, hand still outstretched. “Had to check, my apologies.” 

Tony grabbed his wrist, eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The Asgardian pulled his hand back, smiling. He looked him over again. Tony shifted on his feet uncomfortably. He felt like a juicy piece of steak under that gaze. It usually didn’t unsettle him to be ogled, but Loki was very…intense. He guessed it was all the working out he did. After becoming Iron Man, it had become quite the routine. A plus was he’d never been in better shape than now. Especially the squats had helped, going by the amount of groping it had received the past years. Being a superhero is hard work. He stared at Loki with a puzzled expression. This man was nothing like the man he fought during the alien invasion back on Earth. Back then he had a manic glint in his eye. Back then, he’d fought the Avengers with a crazy, vicious desperation that had Tony wondering what he was fighting for. Or running from. Now he looked more collected, more human in a way. Tony hummed. “Since when have you been into the Stark sensation?” 

Loki sniffed. “Since never. You’re just the only one around.” This brush-off made Tony’s hackles rise. 

 

They began walking again. An awkward silence hung between them for a while. As they climbed over a fallen tree, Tony opened his mouth again. “I didn’t know the great Loki had urges like us mere mortal men.” 

“I am picky, but I do admit you’re appealing. I admire intelligence… And you’re good looking.” 

The engineer perked up at the compliments. “And the goatee! Don’t forget the goatee.” He preened said goatee a little, frowning as he noticed the stubble had grown back around it. “Now I mention it I’ll have to find a razor somewhere. I don’t look forward to becoming a bush man.” He patted the taller man on his shoulder. “You’re not half bad lookin’ yourself. Well, when you’re not starved and crazy looking.” 

Loki snorted. “Yes.. It will take me a while to get well again.” His head suddenly snaps to the left, eyes narrowing intently. 

Tony blinks at him. “What?” 

Loki smiles, prodding him into the trees and off the path. “Come along.”

He dragged him through the woods until they reached a little clearing. A few small waterfalls streamed down into a lagoon, sending small water droplets everywhere. He let go of the smaller man and sighed happily. While Tony was gawking at the scenery, Loki had already stepped out of his pants. He jumped into the lukewarm water without hesitation, splashing Tony. 

He groaned, staring at Loki in exasperation. “You love being naked, don’t you?” He crouched on some rocks near the edge, feeling the temperature of the water. 

Loki didn’t hear him. He’d swam to the back of the lagoon and then stood on a large rock under one of the waterfalls. He was untangling his hair with long fingers. Tony sat there frozen, transfixed for a moment, staring at him. Loki moved slightly away from the waterfall when he decided his hair felt alright. It had grown very long, reaching the middle of his back. He called out “The water is perfect. Get in! I’m not having you reek all the way to the pathway.” 

“Fine.” Tony rolled his shoulders and stripped out of his clothes. His fingers lingered on the waistband of his boxers for a little, before thinking ‘fuck it’ and taking that off too. He hesitated a bit on the edge, putting a foot in the water to test it. He took a deep breath, reprimanded himself for being a pussy and then jumped in cannonball-style. He surfaces with a gasp, shuddering. “Ugh, you liar! It’s not warm at all.” 

Loki eyed him hungrily, having watched him undress with great interest. He swam over to Tony, black hair trailing behind him. “You know, I wish I hadn’t thrown you out of that window.” He murmured “Could’ve done something else entirely.” His pupils were dilated, drowning the green irises in red nearly entirely. He kept his gaze on Tony, who paddled over to a shallow end to sit on some rocks.

“Like what?” Tony asked, splashing some water under his armpits in an attempt to get clean. He shivered again. 

Loki crooned, low and beckoning as he came closer. “Cold?” He reached out, placing his hands on the smaller man’s hips. “As for your question, perhaps something involving a bed or couch…” 

Tony chuckled, not minding him being handsy too much. “Would that have stopped your little temper tantrum? And yes, my balls are actively trying to crawl back into my body right now. But your body temperature feels hot.” He blinked, reaching out and placing a hand on Loki’s chest. The cold of his fingers were immediately chased away by the warmth of his skin. He sighed happily. Vaguely he promised himself loads of warm bubble baths if he ever made it out of this realm.

Loki smirked down at him. Sneaking his arms around the mortal, he pulled him nearer. His hands conveniently slid down to cup his butt cheeks. Tony raised an eyebrow, but let him. Their legs and chests pressed together, blanketing him with more delicious heat. Loki muttered “My temper tantrum, as you so charmingly put it, was something even I couldn’t have stopped at that point.” 

Tony hummed. “You’ll have to tell me all about that later, seeing as…hey!” His eyes narrowed as a long finger slid a little too close to home. “Quite rude behaviour from a prince. You didn’t take me out to dinner yet.” He made no move however to dislodge the exploring digit. 

Loki looked very satisfied. He cocked his head, an odd gleam in his eyes. The small sheen of green around his huge pupils turned steadily red. He kneaded his handfuls of Tony and licked his lips. “I did. I provide the food.” A soft growl rumbled through him. 

Tony snorted, feeling a sharp pang of arousal in his stomach. “You really think that counted?” He rolled his hips once experimentally, watching him intently.  
Loki felt his control slip away, his instincts kicking in. His eyes were fully red by now, skin turning blue slowly. His mind cleared of all but need and hunger. His cock swelled against Tony’s hip. 

Tony swallowed. His gaze darting down, he couldn’t avoid the appreciative groan. He felt his own body responding to the sight of Loki’s large member nestled so close to his own. Thinking it was unfair, that such a tall god was blessed in the downstairs department as well. He considered pulling away. That didn’t last long however, as his own body filled with lust. The Jotun’s form intrigued him to no end. It fulfilled a fantasy of meeting pretty aliens and seducing them. A fantasy he’d has since he’d first watched Star Wars. He reached out dazedly, tracing over one of the swirling raised lines over Loki’s collarbones. His heart thudded rapidly. Adrenalin coursed through him, from the combined arousal and threatening vibes he was receiving. He felt entranced, hopelessly ensnared in this moment. So close to such a strong being, it felt rather like being allowed near a tiger, a very handsome, aroused tiger. Tony shook his head, attempting to clear it a bit. He was so hard it ached. 

Loki was pressing against him, grinding their hips together. He bent down, nuzzling his throat, scenting him. Tony groaned as he felt a tongue flick under his earlobe, lips caressing down his neck. Just when the mortal felt himself fully slacken in Loki’s grasp, a sharp pain shook him. Loki had bitten down hard, his fangs piercing his skin. He yelped, then struggled as he felt wetness welling up from the bite. “Hey! Not cool, I’m not food remember?” 

Loki didn’t let go of him though. Shoving him backwards against a mossy rock, he proceeded to lick away the blood. He groaned, sounding more animalistic than human as he rubbed his hardness against him. 

Tony gasped and arched his back. The pain was being slowly driven out of his mind as they rocked together, sending sparks of pleasure through them. Precum leaked steadily between them, causing the friction to become deliciously slippery. Tony panted slightly. Bracketed between Loki’s arms and shoulders like this, he felt small. He couldn’t help relishing in it, head falling back against the stone. He murmured to himself, “Mhh… This is a seriously bad idea.” 

At his voice, Loki stilled. His mind cleared a little and he looked confused all of the sudden. Feeling like he just awoke from a trance, he trembled. He tried to back away from the mortal but found himself unable to. “Ah…I…” His voice sounded wrecked. Eyes flitting from Tony’s flushed face to his cock, nestled up against his.  
Stark had the audacity to roll his eyes at him, all bravado considering his nervous heartbeat. His scent however, was all want. 

“Don’t you dare stop.” Tony said, while wrapping his arms around Loki’s neck. “Just keep in mind that I’m not dinner.” 

At those words Loki’s confusion melted away, as did his doubt. Leaning in he sucked a second mark over his collarbone, making Tony squirm. “Tell me now.” He murmured against the hickey. “Would you mind if I took you?”

A sly smirk curved the mortal’s lips. He reached down and trailed a light fingertip over Loki’s swollen cock. “Mind what?” He asked innocently. 

Loki growled at the teasing touch, rutting against Tony’s hand and pulling him into a rough kiss. Their teeth clacked together sharply in their haste, Loki’s tongue flicking into his mouth, tasting him. He curled his fingers into his hair, pulling him as close as he can. They lost theirselves in their kiss for a while, Loki’s hands wandering again. 

Tony felt his mind become fuzzier with every touch. He gasped when a hand raised to his chest, thumbing over a sensitive pink nipple. It hardened under the touch. He chuckled breathlessly when he felt fingers inching closer to his hole. He grunted. “Mmh.” He nipped Loki’s neck harshly in revenge. “Dunno if I want to be taken though, honey. I’m more of a top.” He purred. His mouth watered as his eyes fixated on Loki’s dark blue nipples. Leaning in, he traced one with the tip of his tongue, delighted as Loki moaned appreciatively.  
He didn’t get to enjoy it for long however. Two strong hands wrapped around his hips swiftly and spun him. He was lifted out of the water effortlessly. His breath whooshed out of him as his chest thudded against the mossy rock. The heat pressing along his back made the rough handling worth it though. Loki’s breath was hot on the back of his neck. Goosebumps raised on his arms as he pushed back against the warm body behind him. A moan escaped him unwillingly. Sharp teeth clasped gently around the back of his neck, as two fingers stroked his entrance. Tony quivered and reached back to catch Loki’s hand. He brought his fingers to his mouth, sliding his tongue over them. He turned his head to catch Loki’s gaze as he slipped his fingers into his mouth and sucked. The Jotuns mouth hung slightly open, looking transfixed. His cock twitched against Tony’s backside. When he let his fingers go, they were slick with saliva.

Tony smirked, then patted his own butt cheeks beckoningly. “C’mon. If you want it so bad, work for it.” 

Loki grunted, grabbing Tony’s chin and kissing him awkwardly, fingers circling his anus. When he felt him relaxing slightly, he pushed one finger inside with surprising gentleness. Pumping it slowly, Tony hissed a bit in discomfort as he started working in another one. Loki peppered kisses along his spine, nibbling here and there. He slickened his fingers again with his saliva, then worked him open with three. Tony grunted, his erection having wilted a little. He wriggled slightly in place. However, when those clever digits slid over his prostate, he gasped. He arched his back, fucking himself on Loki’s fingers. His lips parted on a moan. 

Loki’s patience vanished. He put a hand on Tony’s lower back, fingers slipping out. Ignoring the mortals disappointed whimper, he grabbed his cock and lined himself up. Tony swallowed as he felt the head nudge his puffy hole. Remembering how big the Jotun was, made him tense. “Erm…Maybe I should fuck you…nghah…” His breath escaped him as the tip breached him, stretching him far more than the fingers had. Loki gripped his hips tightly, a growl reverberating through him as he pushed. In one, sharp thrust he sank inside him. Tony whined as he tried to adjust. Loki’s cock felt huge and hot, nudging his sweet spot as he jerked his hips. “Holy mhn…Mother of jezus’ baby…ah…” he babbled, pressing back into the touch. “Fuck… ” 

Loki huffed out a soft laugh, then pulled out slowly before slamming back inside. He set a ruthless pace, Tony groaning like some wanton whore. The smaller man felt his balls tighten. He had difficulty holding himself up against the rock, letting Loki thrust into him again and again as his body tightened around him. His orgasm swept over him suddenly. He moaned and babbled incoherently as his come shot against the stone and dripped into the water. Loki groaned, his teeth finding the soft skin of Tony’s shoulder. He bit down again. His pace faltered, arms tightening around Tony’s chest as he emptied himself inside him. 

Loki’s grip loosened, making Tony slip fully back into the water. He grunted. The Jotun really was heavy, slumped boneless against his back. 

He wriggled a little. “Come on…You’re crushing me man.” 

Loki sniffed. It took him awhile to back away. 

Tony pulled a face as he felt Loki’s softening cock slip out. Now the glow of his orgasm was ebbing away, he felt sticky and cold. He turned around, being grabbed again by the other man. 

Loki pulled him close, nuzzling his hair. 

Tony flopped uselessly against the hug for a moment before giving in. He grumbled, “No comment about the cuddling.” He still felt out of breath. He felt a little confused as his neck was being kissed. He wasn’t about to comment on it however. His mind was still mush as he embraced him back. 

Loki leaned in, pressing their lips together. 

Tony’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been kissed that gently in a long time. Shrugging to himself, he kissed back. It felt too easy and familiar not to take comfort from it.

Loki felt a shiver travel down his spine. He felt, more than noticed his skin returning to his pale Asgardian state. Back into the lie. He didn’t pay it much attention though. His attention was captured fully by the man before him. This mortal man, who looked at him as if he were an interesting puzzle. This man, who broke all the rules of the universe and somehow broke through the realms’ walls. Who saw him, chained and nearly broken, and saved him instead of leaving. He looked down at where their nude bodies pressed together. He frowned. There was a fire in his belly, one that commanded to stay near Stark. His instincts commanded him to protect him. Not his instincts, he berated himself. These were the demands of his Frost Giant nature. Try as he might, after having been stuck in that form for so long in the cave, he could no longer silence the voice. The presence of his true nature was lingering in the back of his mind. It wouldn’t have been a problem but for Stark. Why did these feelings awake for him? Why did he jump him like a dog in heat, without considering the repercussions? If there was one thing Loki prided himself on, it was his taste in lovers. He could go decades without indulging himself. Simply because he saw no need to demean himself for anyone unworthy. But here Stark was, a mortal of all things. And Loki had been unable to stop himself. He huffed, pushing it out of his mind. 

 

Tony laughed softly. His grin was blinding as he looked up at him. “You should feel really special. Not many can claim to have topped THE Tony Stark.” 

Loki felt the corners of his mouth quirk up without his consent. He must admit it had been rather exquisite. Not that he would ever let that slip. The mortal’s ego was already swollen enough. “YOU should feel honoured,” he murmured “, since not many have slept with me. I am rather picky.” 

“Seriously? But aren’t you like, ancient?” 

The look on Stark’s face made Loki laugh. He nodded. “Indeed. I just don’t see the need to choose quantity over quality.” Unable to stop himself he groped the smaller man’s butt. It was delectably soft after all.

Tony grumbled a little. “I just remembered one of the reasons I don’t bottom. I feel like a snail.” He winced as he felt come between his butt cheeks. Loki snorted and made to grab him. Tony saw it coming and jumped further into the water. “I can wash myself, thank you.” He huffed, starting to swiftly wash himself. 

Loki held up his hands innocently. “I merely wished to help.” He watched as Tony sank further under the surface, until only his eyes and hair were visible. He looked like a wary alligator. 

They both swam around a bit more. Loki was unable to keep his eyes from flitting to the bite marks he’d left on the mortal. He noticed Tony touching them absentmindedly. It made him feel content, like he had claimed him in some way. Like he belonged to him now. Loki ruthlessly pushed those feelings down. They weren’t his, they were the Jotun’s.  
After Tony had found some slimy green algae and thrown it at Loki’s face, which resulted in a wrestling match (and Tony nearly drowning), they finally got out the lagoon. A tense silence fell between them as they sat on a boulder, letting the sun dry their skin. Loki was lounging with his eyes closed, looking like he hadn’t a care in the world. Tony fidgeted, sending him sideways glances. 

 

Finally, Loki sighed. “What is it, Stark?” 

Tony smiled. “Well…I was just thinking. Maybe this journey isn’t going to be that boring after all.”


	6. Treetops.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and will remain the same now.

The days crept by slowly, filled with the monotony of walking. Every night they would make camp. Every morning they would wake up, pack their small belongings and leave again. Loki had been even less talkative than usual, leaving Tony to talk mostly to himself. It was starting to grate on his nerves. No, Tony had been sick of the silence and occasional grunts for days now. Every comment he’d made about their surroundings was met by an unimpressed look, and every question he’d asked answered by a shrug. The occasional short sentences Loki gave sounded more like commands at this point. Fill the water pouches, search firewood…   
So, Tony had started to try and get him to open up again. Obviously, the Asgardian was feeling weird about their little sex session. ‘Normal people made making connections seem so easy,’ Tony thought grumpily, ‘how hard can conversing with an alien ex prince be?’ 

As it turned out, quite hard. After another boring day of travelling and hunting, they ended up settling down near a small stream. Tony was just starting to enjoy his rant about the lack of bathrooms here and the uselessness of all things nature, when he was rudely interrupted by a small stick thrown at his face. He bristled and narrowed his eyes at Loki, who was innocently starting to clean the fish they caught a little while back. “So, you’re not talking to me but throwing things is on the table?” 

Loki shrugged. “When you’re being annoying I reserve the right to.” 

Tony blinked. “Oh, so now you’re acknowledging me again? I thought I’d turned invisible the last couple of days.” 

Loki sniffed and shot him a look of dry amusement. “Apologies, I had no idea you were so desperate for my attention.” He smirked as the other man sputtered indignantly. 

“Desperate? Oh please, at least I’m not the one who sulked all the way here because I’m insecure about my sex life.” 

Loki’s smirk morphed into a glower. “I do not ‘sulk’, nor am I ‘insecure’. 

They bickered for a bit, the tension between them bleeding away as they set to roasting their fish. 

 

After dinner they spent a few moments sitting in amicable silence. The trees around them were sparser than before, towering into the evening sky. They still had plenty of daylight, the sun had just started to set. Tony picked up a few more sticks, whittling away at them with a sharp rock. It really was hard for him to cope with the boredom. As he worked, it dawned on him that no matter how silent his companion had been, he felt comfortable around him. His worry about being eaten or killed had vanished.   
Loki didn’t look at him like he was a cockroach anymore. Instead, his gaze was mostly curious now. Like he was a puzzle that needed solving, or a very interesting exotic creature. Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He blinked. His beard felt scruffy and unkempt under his fingertips. Leaning over the stream, he peered at his reflection. He groaned. Next to playing with rocks and sticks like a caveman, he was starting to look like one too. His precious goatee had nearly completely faded. Absentmindedly, he pulled on some of the stray hairs. It bothered him more than he’d liked to admit. It brought back memories of being a prisoner, of being too tired and beaten down to care about his appearance. Also, he had always just been a bit vain about the way he looked.

Loki stood up and threw the leftovers of his fish carelessly into some bushes. He watched amusedly as the mortal kept grimacing at his reflection. He cleared his throat, trying to hide a smirk. “Do I need to shave you?” 

Tony looked up at him a little warily. “With what, your fangs?” 

“I could sharpen another rock.” He nodded towards the one in Tony’s hand. “A smaller one. Or I could use my ice blades.” He relished in the horror struck look on Tony’s face.

“…No thanks. I don’t want you to freeze my face off.” Tony huffed. He glared suspiciously as Loki picked up a pebble and took a seat next to him. 

Loki didn’t mind. He settled himself into a comfortable position, stretching his legs. Their shoulders bumped together. He snapped the pebble cleanly in two. The loud snap made Tony flinch. Without thinking about it Loki pulled him closer again. Tony squawked as he toppled into Loki, who leaned down and nuzzled his neck. His deep masculine scent made Loki's Jotun side purr happily. 

Stark leaned back away from him with a frown. “…So I’m supposed to bare my throat for you and trust you not to slit it?” 

Loki snorted. “I will not kill you. I don’t feel the need for that any longer. I thought you knew that already.” He arched an eyebrow. “Ah, I also do not think I’ll be able to shave your particular beard style for you.” 

Tony’s eyes widened, making him look comically horrified. “No goatee? I’d rather look like a homeless bum than a smooth baby’s butt!”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine. I shall try…I must admit I don’t see the appeal in beards that much. Perhaps because I cannot grow one myself. Not that I’m complaining about that.”

Tony still didn’t look that convinced. He thought that Loki looked way too thrilled to take a sharp object to his face. Or even worse, try and shave him completely clean. He poked the taller man sharply in the ribs. “You better try… and succeed!” 

Loki nodded, unable to stop himself from brushing his lips against his cheek. 

Tony stilled, eyeing him a little cautiously as he pulls away. They sat in silence again as Loki was sharpening the pebble until it’s razor sharp. Tony’s mind whirled. He didn’t understand the god’s casual affection. Now that he thought about it, Loki had been a bit handsy after they had sex four days ago. Nothing too outlandish though. A brush against his arm here, a hand on his lower back there… He’d reasoned those times were just accidents. He got jostled back into reality as his arm was grabbed. He blinked as Loki pressed the sharp stone against his skin, scraping at the hairs there. As the make shift razor got pulled away, Tony glared at him. “A little warning next time.” He inspects the bald patch on his arm. “Huh…not bad.” 

Loki crouched down in front of him. He made the engineer tilt his head and keep still. Tony had to force himself not to flinch at the first touch of the blade. It felt a little uncomfortable, without his usual choice of shaving cream. Rough and a bit scratchy. It would all be worth it in the end, he thought. Maybe if he looked a little more like himself, he’d start feeling more like him again. He’d be able to figure out a way off this planet in no time! Or maybe not. But whatever the case, It would do him good to look like his handsome self again. 

It didn’t take long until Loki was finished. Licking his lips, Tony tilted his head back at a small tap on his chin. His heart pounded in his chest as long fingers brushed some fallen hairs off his skin, travelling down his neck. Loki felt him swallow and smirked. His pupils widened as he focused on scraping away the hairs on Tony’s neck. When he finished he leaned back to admire his handy work. The goatee wasn’t perfect, but it at least looked like a goatee again.

Tony jumped up and hurried to a nearby puddle. He leaned over it and striked a few poses while he admired himself. He wiped away a droplet of blood from his cheek, where the stone had nicked him a little. He turned to beam at Loki. “Not bad. You did cut me a little, but not badly. Thanks!” 

Loki smiled slightly in response, although he felt somewhat disappointed he didn’t cut it all off. It would’ve been fun to watch the mortal get angry about it. “We should start making shelter again. In this area however, it’s safer up high. There’s too much open space down here, and other things.” 

They turned to watch the setting sun. “About now would be a good time.” Stark arched an eyebrow. He then glanced up at one of the enormous trees. “Yeah, okay, no. I don’t fancy rolling off a branch in my sleep and becoming a pancake on the ground. 

Loki arched an eyebrow, smirking. “If you’re too… scared, I could always hold you.” 

Tony coughed and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not scared of a little height! But if you insist you can carry me around. Like my own personal horse, or donkey.” He chuckled at Loki’s revolted expression. 

Loki grumbled. “No, only to get you up there. How about…” He looked around, spotting a tree with nicely dense foliage. He gestured at it. “That one.” 

Tony twitched. He craned his neck to look up at the top. “Didn’t you hear me say I’ll roll off in my sleep? Or is it that you want scrambled genius for breakfast.” He stared at Loki incredulously, as he saw him shift into his Jotun form. 

“I’ll make sure you won’t.” He stepped towards the tree, sharp icicles growing on his fingers and toes like claws. He glanced back at Tony expectantly. “Let’s hope this’ll do. Get on my back.” 

The smaller man hesitated before inching closer to him. “You know… As long as there are no evil unicorns that’ll chew on my toes, I think the ground is perfectly fine.” 

Loki stared at him in disbelief. “Are you an imbecile? I just told you it’s dangerous. There are other predators around, not to mention the natives.” 

“Natives? We haven’t come across any of those before though, next to the one whose pants you stole. And what kind of predators are YOU afraid of?” He laid a hand on Loki’s shoulder, still not hopping onto his back however. 

“If I would have to use a Midgardian animal as reference, I’d say a panther. But three times the size and rather fantastically camouflaged. I’m not afraid of it, but you would make a good meal for it. Now get on.” 

Tony groaned. He jumped onto the Jotun’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck, and his legs around his waist. “Don’t let me fall.” His grip tightened as Loki dug his claws into the tree. 

“Just keep holding me like this.” He started to climb, unbothered by the extra weight on his back. He had been slowly regaining his muscles and energy over the past week. They managed to reach the treetops pretty quickly. It had taken them about five minutes to get up high. Loki let Tony get off of him safely onto a thick, sturdy branch, before letting the ice on his hands and feet melt away. 

 

The view was breath taking. They had chosen one of the tallest trees, making it possible to view the rest of the forest. Mountains were visible in the distance, the whole landscape painted in blues and pinks because of the setting sun. In the sky a few stars started to sparkle. Tony whistled, captivated. “Fuck… I wish Pep was here to see this. She’s always loved sunsets.” 

Loki cocked his head, sitting down next to him. He turned into his Asgardian, pale self again. “Pep?” 

“Oh? Yeah Pepper. My girlfriend...erm…Ex? I’m not so sure.” He bit his lip, frowning a little. They had been having a lot of difficulty keeping their relationship together lately. She had threatened to leave him multiple times, but…

Loki huffed. “Ex probably then.” He growled softly. 

Tony didn’t hear it, biting his lower lip as his expression saddened. “Probably… Yeah…” He stared into the distance without really seeing anything. He shivered in the cool evening breeze, pulling his knees up to his chest, back against the trunk of the tree. Loki crept closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He felt that odd protective feeling again, squeezing his heart. 

“It does get pretty cold up here.” 

Tony hummed in agreement. “Mhm...” He let Loki pull him even closer, too deep into thought to object. “Shit, you’re warm.” It did feel nice. Like sitting close to a radiator. Only one that was tall, pale and long limbed. 

“It must be the Jotun blood..” Loki murmured, “I was born to withstand a lot colder than this, I guess.” He shifted, raising his hips to take off his pants which he promptly draped over Tony’s shoulders and arms. 

Tony chuckled and snuck a peek of his lower naked body. “You don’t need to get naked for me you know.” 

“I’m not cold in the slightest, so it’s fine.” There was an awkward silence again. He looked up, pointing at the sky. “Midgard is somewhere that way.” 

Tony looked up as well, but all he could see were stars and clouds. He yawned, huddling further into the warmth his clothes and Loki were providing. “I don’t see anything, but I’ll take your word for it, Frosty Flakes.” His eyes fell shut. 

 

Loki tried to get more comfortable, but it was rather hard with the harsh bark digging into his naked ass. After some wiggling, he huffed. “Alright maybe give me my trousers back.” Tony sleepily did so. Loki laid down onto his back. He thanked the stars that the branch was so broad, big enough so that he could comfortably stretch out on it. He patted his stomach. “Come over here.” 

Stark frowned, tapping his fingers against the trunk before shrugging and carefully manoeuvring over. He stopped right at Loki’s head, who grabbed him and pulled him on top of him. He wrapped his arms tightly around him. “There. Now you don’t need to worry about rolling off.” 

“Yeah, unless you fall off. Or push me in your sleep.” He snorted. Feeling too tired to be indignant about the position, (Which wasn’t cuddling in the slightest , no sir.) he just settled in to sleep. Another yawn escaped him. 

Loki murmured into his hair. “Just don’t make any sudden movements.” 

Tony grumbled, nodding off rapidly. He didn’t notice the lips pressing against his forehead before he fell into a deep sleep. It was odd for him to be so relaxed with another being, that he would so easily drift off. The only other person he’d ever had that with, was Pepper. 

It seemed odd situations created odd relationships.


	7. Don't wander off.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony learns that wandering off from Loki is not a very good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten and will remain the same now.

The night passed quickly and quietly. Since they were so far up, not even nesting birds annoyed them. Tony slept deeply, his fear of falling out of the tree was forgotten in the face of his exhaustion. His dreams were rather pleasant, long evenings he’d spent with Pepper in bed starring in them. Her skin was soft and glowing gently in the moonlight, as Tony kissed her. She often giggled, especially when he teased her more sensitive spots with his fingers and goatee. Her giggles turned into moans as he tasted her. He ground his hips down, groaning as the pressure in his groin increased. 

Loki slowly woke up. He blinked tiredly at the morning light filtering through the leaves. He grunted, looking down at the mortal on his chest with a small smile. The hardness against his own cock made him groan softly, shifting to press closer. His own morning wood throbbed happily at the friction. Tony was still deep asleep. His hips were rocking gently. Loki licked his lips and let his hands wander over the mortals back, resting on his butt. He stroked gentle circles into the soft flesh. A purr rumbled through his chest. “Good morning Stark…Wake up.” 

Tony tensed a little as the male voice invaded his nice dream. He grunted and opened his eyes, staring blearily up at Loki. “Ngh…Fuck…Did ya have to wake me?” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. 

Loki’s thoughts were filled with the time they spent at the lagoon. He eyed the man under him hungrily as he remembered the noises he’d made and how tight he’d been. He bit his tongue slightly to try and keep his Jotun form at bay, which proved more difficult than expected. The thick scent of Stark’s arousal made him dizzy with want. “Need some help?” He murmured, pupils dilated. Keeping still took a lot of control. 

Stark blinked, biting his lower lip. He seemed to consider the offer for a moment before carefully stretching out, causing him to rub deliciously against Loki. He grinned, cat like. “Mmmmaybe.” He chuckled. 

Tony’s playful expression and wriggling made something snap in Loki. He lunged upwards, grabbing him tightly as he pulled him into a kiss. They fought for dominance, Tony’s hands sliding into Loki’s hair. The Jotun growled, his eyes gleaming red as the blue took over his pink skin against his will. He slid his fingers into Tony’s waistband, teasing the top of his buttocks. Tony groaned, shivering at the intensity of Loki’s gaze as they pulled apart. He admired the beauty of the lines adorning Loki’s face and chest for a moment. He was truly handsome in either form. He licked his lips and wiggled his body a bit downwards to settle himself between Loki’s legs. He purred, running his fingers over his chest. “I think it’s my turn…” 

The air suddenly chilled. A dangerous look swept over the Jotun’s face as he growled loudly. He sat up abruptly, causing Tony to nearly topple off the branch. Tony squawked. “Watch it, you ass!” 

Loki flashed his fangs at him in irritation. “No.” He glared at him. 

Tony glared back, startled. “No? Alright… No to watching it, or no to bottoming.” He scooted closer to the trunk again. He cocked his head, studying the frustrated looking other man. 

“No…” Loki mumbled. He gritted his teeth together and took in a deep breath, fighting the urge to grab the mortal and just take him. His mind felt dazed. Somewhere in his brain he felt disgusted at himself, reduced to an animal in heat.

Tony let out a sigh while ruffling his own hair. He tried shoving the thought of Pepper’s long pale legs aside. Her smooth hair, tight wet heat… A new wave of arousal shuddered through him as he recalled his dream. He sighed again. 

More annoyance swept over Loki. His fangs pricked his bottom lip as he decided to just take what rightfully belongs to him. He can smell the want on the mortal after all. Lunging forward he grabs Tony, pushing him down onto his back and leaning in to taste the skin at his throat. 

Tony yelped. His fingers scrabbled to get a hold of Loki’s shoulders. The sudden movement had left him breathless and adrenalin fuelled. “What the fuck?” He squirmed, trying to stop a small branch from poking him in his back. Blinking up at him, he tried to get his heartbeat under control. To Tony’s annoyance however, Loki’s rough handling hadn’t done anything to stop his erection. He grunted as he felt sharp fangs and hot breath on the vulnerable part of his throat. “Mpfgh…slow down there cowbo…” He got interrupted by a quick movement out the corner of his eye. A small bird had whizzed by. Before Tony could register what was happening, the poor thing got snatched out of the sky by blue fingers, its neck snapped in one neat, swift move. As Loki distractedly started to pull his snack apart with his teeth, Tony paled in disgust. He stared up at the grizzly scene, unable to look away. “Fuck. Never do that so close to my face again, please.” He turned his face to the side. His stomach turned nauseously as he pushed at Loki’s chest to create a little distance. 

Loki looked down from his snack and licked some blood off of his hand. He noticed the mortal’s arousal had disappeared fully, making it easier for him to calm down. After a few breaths, he regained his self-control enough to slide off of him. “My apologies, I became distracted.” He muttered, not meeting Tony’s eyes. 

Tony sat up cautiously. He spent a few seconds straightening out his clothes. “Uhu. Remind me to build you a bow and arrows, so you don’t need to go all ‘hulk smash’ on innocent forest critters.” 

Loki growled in annoyance. “I have heightened senses. And go and make it for yourself, I have no need for such weapons.” 

Tony huffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I noticed the heightened senses.. Now get me down so we can find some breakfast.” 

 

After a breakfast of raw eggs they continued their journey. While they were walking, the engineer kept busy picking up wood and carving a bow. Hours slid by peacefully. When the sun was already low in the sky, signalling late afternoon, they found themselves a little clearing. They bickered for a bit, until Loki relented and allowed Tony to do the hunting. He himself went to find a small stream or clear puddle to fill up their rapidly depleting water supply. After he filled up the water pouches, he wandered a bit. When he came across an unsuspecting traveller relieving himself against a tree, he silently swiped the large man’s backpack before disappearing. Returning to the camping area they picked out, he opened the leather bag and found a treasure of cured meats, some odd smelling cheese like food, a cup and a plate. The small bottles of herbs and spices were a welcome surprise. There also were some coins rattling in one of the side pockets, along with some small biscuits that looked to be for animal consumption. He hummed happily as he pulled out a lighter, and promptly started to collect firewood onto a pile. Tony took way longer than the Jotun would have done. After a lot of trial and error with his newly made weapon, and a LOT of running after lost arrows, he finally managed to swipe two birds. He grumbled to himself as he gathered them up about how unfair it was that he was stranded here, and not Clint. At least he could’ve gone full native, and probably hunt more efficiently with just this wooden piece of garbage. Imagining Clint dressed up like Robin Hood and swinging around in trees cheered him up just a tad. Whistling to himself he returned to their camp. He was pleasantly surprised at the size of the campfire that was crackling in the middle of it. Its heat was a welcome treat in the cooling air. The sun was already dipping low behind the trees now. 

Loki laid stretched out in the grass, blinking up lazily at Tony. He saw the birds, and his nose wrinkled. It was not nearly enough for them both. More were flying above them, twittering away mockingly. He gave the mortal a judgemental look that he hoped conveyed just what he thought about his hunting skills. 

Tony scowled in return. “Jeah, well the bow’s a work in progress alright? You try building one while trying to avoid walking into a tree.” He huffed. 

Loki just smirked in response and shook his head. His hair looked ridiculously tangle free and soft. Tony wondered if he preened it when he wasn’t looking. He himself must’ve looked shabby compared to the long legged, perpetually half-naked prince, who despite the dirt and stains looked like a wild amazon. Something flashed in Loki’s eyes and he shifted. The blue of his skin was catching the dying sunlight in a most flattering way. He stretched out his fingers, small ice crystals growing rapidly on them, forming into three sharp spikes. He broke one off with a satisfying crunch. “Stark,” he called out, “watch this.” With a movement so rapid it looked like a blur, he flung the icicle into the air. It struck its target which screeched pitifully, before plummeting in a flurry of feathers. The other birds scattered, shrieking as it fell onto the grass with a flump. 

Tony walked closer to the creature, peering down at it. Not only had the ice-shard hit it, it had pierced its chest perfectly. He grunted and looked away from the dead beady black eyes. Against his will, he felt impressed. “Show-off. What has the avian population ever done to you anyways?” 

Loki’s smirk widened. “I am not the one whose species breeds birds by the millions only to drop them into boiling oil. How you are all not ridiculously flabby, I have no idea.” 

Tony’s lips twitched into a smile. “Point.” He gestured at the two remaining spikes which now melted away. “That is quite the impressive party trick. Got any more?” 

Loki felt pleased with Tony’s reaction. It’s been quite a while since he got any praise for his talents. Growing up it had been frustrating for him, being constantly outshined by Thor on the battlefield. His cleverness and magic had gathered him no admiration, next to his mother’s. Somewhere in his mind he thought how pathetically low he’d fallen, to take a mortal’s praise to heart. He ignored the nagging thought and stood up. “Probably. I haven’t really worked with these powers yet.” He dug his toes into the grass, enjoying the feel under his bare feet. He glanced around, catching sight of a purple squirrel like creature. He took in a deep breath and concentrated. Hoping that he wouldn’t fail in front of Stark, he stomped one foot forward causing a trail of ice to shoot out towards the animal. The poor thing ended up impaled on icy spikes. Relieved that he managed to pull it off, he grinned. 

Tony found his enthusiasm funny and a tiny bit adorable. “Awww…Look at you!” He cooed. “The frosty snowman, killing all cute forest critters with the power of ice.” 

Loki rolled his eyes and picked up the two dead animals. He didn’t shift back into his Asgardian skin. “I think we’ve got plenty now. I also picked up a little provision before.” 

Tony’s eyes fell on the bag and he wandered over to it, looking inside. “Niiice. There’s berries in here. Can you clean dinner please?” He popped a few of the sweet fruits into his mouth as Loki nodded and started cleaning the carcasses. Tony rolled onto his back in the grass to relax. After a while of hearing the meat sizzling over the fire, the scent made his mouth water. Loki handed him a portion of meat, which he dug into gratefully. He groaned. It was cooked perfectly, and this time he could taste salt and spices. “Mfuck yeah.” He moaned with his mouth stuffed. “Dunno what it is with this squirrel thing, but it’s good!” 

Loki smiled as he picked up his own meat. “I have used some spices this time.” His smile turned into a grimace at Tony’s messy way of eating. The mortal's lips were stained with grease, and he didn’t seem too bothered keeping his mouth closed while chewing. There was still a streak of berry juice on his fingers and one of his wrists. Loki spotted it and grabbed his arm, pulling it closer to lick it off. 

Stark blinked and just continued eating. “You really have a huge hardon for me don’t you.” He murmured. 

Loki narrowed his eyes. “What? No.”

Tony wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Yeaaaah you do. I think I could get you to do anything if I bent over.” He chuckled and popped another few juicy berries into his mouth. Loki snorted and looked away, continuing to nibble on a few small pieces of meat. Tony watched him a little. When he finished eating, he stretched and let out a happy noise before dropping back onto the soft and mossy ground. Wriggling around a bit, he arched his back in a languid stretch, feeling a bit like a well-fed cat. He sent Loki a sultry look. 

Loki just snorted and finished his meal. “Quit your attention-seeking and go to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll begin our travel early.” After some grumbling about his feet hurting, the mortal settled down. 

They slept well that night.

 

Another few days passed. The nights remained calm but the days were exhausting, mostly for Loki who had to listen to Tony’s rambling about how shit it is to walk. Mostly he didn’t really mean it however. They had enough food and there was always something interesting to look at. Nothing had tried to eat him. Tony felt quite relaxed chatting with the Asgardian. When he did manage to pull him into a proper conversation, Loki proved to be quite clever and witty. Their banter quickly became the highlight of every day for Tony. It soon became apparent that Loki had a good grasp on basic science, and an astounding knowledge on biology. When he tried to explain that magic was merely a higher form of science, they bickered for quite a long time. 

By now they had entered a rockier terrain, only a small amount of trees spread around. Tony was relieved he was wearing shoes, cringing when he saw Loki walking over sharp rocks barefoot. He didn’t seem to mind though. The hands and feet of Jotuns have evolved to be rather tough-skinned. It was around noon and Loki ordered Stark to go pluck some berries. He was deciding on maybe hunting bigger prey. As they split up, Tony wandered quite far away from Loki. He didn’t have much luck finding berry bushes. Instead, he’d managed to accidentally discover a pile of alien animal poop with his right foot. He grumbled as he wiped his shoe off onto a patch of grass. He glanced around to see if Loki was still in his sight, which he was but just barely. He spotted him far off between two trees, crouching down and seemingly stalking something. He amused himself imagining a tail on him, flicking dangerously as he hunted some poor creature. Looking for a small puddle of water to clean his shoe off more thoroughly, he took his eyes off the Jotun. After locating a tiny pool and making sure the shit got removed properly, he frowned. There was an odd noise coming from somewhere close. A sort of shuffling. He glanced around, hoping that it’s just Loki playing a prank on him. Nevertheless, he gripped his pocket knife tightly in his fist. No rock or bush should be making that noise, and all the animals he’d seen were too small to. He stood up from his crouching position and grabbed his bow off the ground. Oddly, his arrows were nowhere in sight. He narrowed his eyes. “Alright, I literally put you right here…” His discomfort rose as he still failed to pinpoint the location of the arrows. He sighed, trying to quieten his nervousness. “Alright Mr. Blueberry Wizard. Cool trick… Come out so I can applaud you pro…” His sentence remained unfinished as a heavy blow hit him over the head. His vision blurred as he dropped to the ground with a yelp of pain. He tried desperately to catch a glimpse of his attacker but failed to. With a grunt he tried moving through the pain. It was no use, as he felt a strong grip grabbing him, muzzling him and tying his hands together before he could yell for help. He soon disappeared, as invisible as the person or thing that attacked him.

Meanwhile, Loki was far too busy chasing the big boar like animal he’d spotted. He hadn’t noticed a thing. The thrill of the hunt combined with the sun on his skin and the wind in his hair had made him almost ecstatic. When he finally had gotten the drop on the creature, he’d killed it swiftly by breaking its neck. It hadn’t felt a thing. Carrying it effortlessly back to the spot they split, he noticed he had not heard Stark in half an hour already. That was pretty strange. Even from a far distance, he usually could always hear the human stumbling around, making a mess and muttering to himself. He seemed incapable of being silent. When he couldn’t find Tony, he dropped his prey and sniffed the air. A low growl rumbled through him as he caught the scent of another being and a horse. Stalking the familiar scent of his human companion, he was enraged to find him missing altogether, kidnapped by some local most likely. He ignored his lunch and started off at a run furiously, chasing the lingering scent that trailed off to the West. His hunger forgotten, he followed the dirt path the three had taken.

Tony had lost consciousness for quite some hours. When he woke, it was disorienting. He was slumped over something which was jostling him every few seconds. The ground under him was moving. Memories of a certain cave, heat and pain crept up on him as he feebly tested the ropes binding his wrists on his back. His feet seemed to be tied with the same material. After a few moments of dizziness, he realized he was on top of a horse, stuck to the back of a saddle. His surroundings were completely different too. The trees were thick once more, and small cosy looking houses were dotted between them. All of them were built out of wood, their roofs sloping down gracefully at the edges. The village looked like something out of a fairy tale. Tony might’ve enjoyed the view, were he not busy panicking. Villagers poked their heads out their windows as they watched them pass. So they were certainly no longer invisible. There were also a lot of people outside. Tony twisted his upped body so he could observe them better. The elves he saw didn’t look friendly. They were beautiful, long limbed with flowing hair that seemed to move gracefully with the slightest whisper of wind, but all of them looked dirty. Clothes torn, scars galore. Most of them were wearing furs and scuffed leather under their cloaks. The more he looked, the more filth he saw litter the streets. They passed a circle of elves sitting on the ground, jeering as they forced two small animals to fight. Scarcely clad women missing teeth and wearing heavy makeup leaned against walls, calling out to passers-by. Old men stood next to blankets littered with suspicious looking wares, all yelling over one another to catch the attention of potential buyers. They all looked at him with frankly undisguised disdain. No help would be coming from them, Tony knew. This must be some sort of outcast village or dealer hole, he thought. His stomach lurched as the horse made a sharp right turn, and they walked down a smaller side path. They stopped at a small stable at the end of it, walking inside. Plans of escaping run through his head, each one more desperate than the last. His kidnapper who he’d only seen the back of by now, dismounted the horse. He patted the animal’s neck, then walked over to inspect Tony. It was a male elf who was at least as tall as Loki. He had a sharp, scarred face and long dirty blond hair. He might’ve been handsome, if it weren’t for the cold calculating look in his bright blue eyes. He looked at him like he was a piece of meat. Tony hid his agitation, glaring at him. The elf smirked and raked his eyes over him, going as far as running a dirty hand over his back and face. He gripped Tony’s hair tightly, tugging his head upwards as he started mumbling to him in what must be elvish. He undoes the muzzle he’d clasped over his mouth. Tony growls. “Speak English, asshole. Do I look like I understand that gibberish?” 

The elf snorted and cut the rope holding Tony stuck to the saddle, pulling him off of it and dropping him onto the floor harshly. To the engineer’s surprise, the next words out of his captor’s mouth were English. “I just said you’ll bring me some nice money once you’re sold. You look healthy. How did you get to Alfheim, you tiny weak being.” 

Tony groaned, having hit the floor rather painfully. His back protested loudly at all the abuse. He made a promise to himself never to ride on a horse again. His voice raised sharply. “Tiny?! Excuse me for not feeling the need to have my head in the clouds.” He stared up defiantly at the towering elf. “And for your information, I found the way here myself. Also, good luck finding someone who’ll buy me. I wouldn’t make a good slave, way too mouthy.” 

The elf chuckles. “There’s easy ways to keep you silent.” He dragged Tony into the small house connected to the stables, throwing him against a wall. “Cut out your tongue for instance.” He manhandled him into a sitting position, forcing a metal chain around his neck as he struggled. The chain was heavy and connected to the brick wall behind him. Tony panicked, he’d hoped his captor would’ve taken off the ropes first. “There’s always interest in non- elves around here. For meat, slavery, all sorts of entertainment etc.. Sadly, for you it’ll be one of those.” 

Tony’s eyes widened slightly. “Hang on a sec… Aren’t elves supposed to be vegetarians? All nature loving and hippie-like?” His heart was thudding rapidly. 

The elf let out a small laugh. “What? Where did you hear that. Well, not around here, that’s for sure. Those stuck up snooty bitches mostly live in the big cities. Why are you on your own, hm?” He poked Tony with the tip of his boot. 

Tony cocked his head and huffed. “Who said I’m alone?” 

The elf arched a disbelieving eyebrow. “If you’re not, then I must be blind as shit. No one followed us the eight hours ‘til here, that’s for damn sure.” Tony tensed and gritted his teeth at those words. He hadn’t realised they’d travelled THAT far. The sun’s going down by now, he noticed as he glanced out the window. He forced a grin. “They’re rather slow I’m afraid.” Doubt settled in. He started wondering if Loki would actually come for him or not. He put it out of his mind to continue considering different escape plans.

As he fell into silent thinking, the elf turned away from him to sit down at a work desk. It was wooden and looked old. The tools and knives the elf started to sharpen on a large whetstone were in pristine condition however. Tony thought it would aid him a lot if he managed to get his hands on one. Any one of them could probably free him completely. And then what? He bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated what he would even do if he managed to get out of his restraints. He was in an unfamiliar village, far away from Loki, in a different world. Even if he managed to overpower his captor and steal his horse, where would he go? He forcibly shut down those doubts. The ground under him felt cold and unforgiving. He would have to wait for an opportunity, when the elf would leave him alone. He’d have to go and get ‘buyers’, wouldn’t he? Tony’s hopes were crushed not too long after. It became apparent that the ride through the village was enough to capture the attention of several shady elves, who all knew to come to the small house. Over the next couple of hours, he was prodded and poked. Shown off like some sort of circus animal. A lot of potential buyers checked him out, looking him over and testing his reactions to being hit or dragged around. One of them even stripped down his pants to get a look at his privates. Tony got away with that with a split lip, as the elf howled in pain. It was good to know being kneed in the balls was just as painful for elves as for humans. Tony tried to be as annoying and boring as possible in an attempt not to be sold off soon. Hours drag on by. Later, deep into the night his kidnapper goes outside to chat to the last visitor for a bit. Just as Tony got on his knees to test the length of the chain, he returned. The elf was smiling ominously. He was tossing a small bag into the air again and again, which clinked happily. He pulled a large gold coin out and waved it at Tony. “Get some sleep, you’re leaving tomorrow morning. You better look your best.” 

Tony felt irritated. He hadn’t had any opportunity to grab something and free himself yet. “Yippee! Am I going on vacation?” he snarked, glaring at the pleased elf. The blond chuckled. 

“Sure, if you like to imagine that. A nice, long vacation. Now hold your bloody tongue, lest I gag you again.” He stood and blew out the candles around the room after pulling out a mattress from god knows where. 

Tony groaned. He’d hoped his captor would sleep elsewhere. It was suddenly very dark, only dim light filtering in through a tiny window. After the elf settled into bed, silence fell. Tony fidgeted, his nervousness reaching new levels. Obviously, Loki wasn’t coming. Why would he? The Jotun had no reason to, no need of him. In fact, Loki might get out of Alfheim quicker alone. He probably didn’t care Tony saved him from rotting away in that cave. Maybe the Jotun even planned for this. A convenient way to get rid of his unwanted traveling companion. As the minutes ticked by, the breathing on the bed became slower. When Tony was very sure the elf was deep asleep, he got up onto his knees and started to shuffle to where he imagined the workbench to be located. The chain made an ungodly racket. He flinched at the noise, freezing in place. His captor grumbled and turned over. Tony slowly released the breath he’d been holding, sitting back down against the wall. Plan B then, he thought. He remembered the rusty nail he’d spotted embedded into the wall on his left. Painfully slowly, he scooted over to where he saw it before. Every clunk the chain made caused him to flinch. A rush of relief washed over him as he found it. He quickly set to trying to cut through the thick rope binding his wrists together. It was uncomfortable work to say the least, but he thought he was making progress. Very slow progress, but progress nonetheless. The knots on the rope were expertly tied. His arms and shoulders had started to ache from being pulled backwards. Being caught up in the rope, he hadn’t noticed the shuffling of the bedsheets. 

Suddenly his captor groaned again. “Keep quiet or I’ll stick a knife in one of your legs…” A small pencil was thrown at Tony, bouncing off his chest. 

Tony sighed and stopped. Changing tactics, he purred. “I don’t think you want to do that…I need both my legs to show off my talent.” He tried to make his voice inviting, hoping maybe the elf would take him up on it and come over. He would’ve loved to stab him with the pencil. A small rock was hurtled at Tony’s head for his efforts instead. He huffed, falling silent again and waiting for the blond to go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, by the time he nearly managed to tear through his restraints on his wrists the sun had started to rise. More light slowly started to filter through the small window. Tony took a deep breath, attempting to stave off a panic attack. Exhaustion and fear were making him light headed. He still had no idea who bought him, and for what purpose. His stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. His captor had given him water at the start, in a bowl on the ground. That was something he wouldn’t be telling Loki if he ever got out. He frowned. Loki. Why was he still thinking about him now? He was jerked out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. The elf woke up, grumbling. The guy got up and checked on Tony before opening the door. A very tall, very rich looking elf was let inside. He wore what looked to be silk embroidered robes, and a dark purple cape lined with fur. When he caught sight of Tony, he smiled widely. His dark eyes lingered on the human for a few moments before he turned to the blond elf. As they started to chat in their weird elf language, Tony’s heart sank even more. He knew that look that the newcomer had given him. It was the same look Obadiah had given him as he stole the arc reactor out his chest. Hungry, excited and sinister. He tensed his arms, feeling the rope around his wrists give way a bit. He couldn’t tear them fully without anyone noticing, so he slumped forwards a little, trying to look as pathetic as possible. It was better to look defeated, as not to worry his captors.

The tranquility of the morning was suddenly shattered by shrieks and shouts outside. It caught the attention of the two elves, causing the blond to go open the door. He peered outside for a moment before slamming it shut and locking it. He started talking to his buyer again rapidly. From his tone of voice and expression, Tony could tell that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. They didn’t seem too worried however. Maybe a creature got into the village, or there was a fight. When their conversation came to an end, his captor trotted over to him. He smirked at Tony, then pulled his fist back and punched him in the jaw. His head smacked hard against the wall. Tony grunted in pain before being jerked to his feet. His captor grabbed him and twisted him around, making him fall harshly against the wall. To Tony’s despair he retied his wrists, muttering under his breath in English. “Sneaky bastard huh? Good thing I chained ya to the wall. Hope you’re gonna have fun at your new home.” 

When the ringing in his ears stopped, Tony noticed the silence outside. No more screams or yells were heard. The beast must’ve wandered off, or the accident was fixed. Whatever it was, it was a little too quiet now.

A sudden heavy banging on the door caused all three of them to jump. His captor dropped him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The two elves carefully crept towards a smaller room, locking themselves in there. Tony tried to scramble to his feet and hide, but he was unable to. ‘Shit, shit, shit..’ Tony thought to himself as the banging became more violent. The heavy wooden door cracked in some places. A loud snarling ripped through the air. Tony swallowed. ‘This must be some very hungry or pissed off motherfucker’. His heart nearly beat out of his chest as his mind went helplessly blank. The chain around his neck felt like it’s closing off his air. ‘This is it, this is the end.’ As he readied himself for certain doom, ice spears flung into the door abruptly, cracking it entirely open. Almost immediately it came crashing down to the ground, stomped clear off its hinges. Tony blinked. Relief surged through him as he saw a familiar shade of blue come through the doorway. It’s Loki. Loki, who looked more enraged than Tony had ever seen. Even when the god had come to earth, he’d taken his losses with a sneer and graced poise. Now, in his Jotun form, he looked like a rabid animal. He only glanced at him before turning to the door of the other room with his teeth bared. Tony swallowed heavily as the Jotun threw himself at the door with a roar. The mortal shrunk against the wall. Now more than ever did he feel like a small, squishy bit of meat and bones. It was difficult to curb his prey response, seeing so much animalistic rage in this confined space. 

The elves screeched in fear as large blades of ice slammed themselves through the barricaded door. Tony flinched as Loki thrust his arm into a hole he’d made and grabbed hold of one of the elves, dragging him through the door. Tony found his own voice back, which sounded cracked and feeble. “…Loki?” He took a deep breath. 

There was no response however. Loki seemed on a mission. He didn’t even flinch as the rich elf he’d grabbed slashed wildly at his chest with a silver dagger. He just grabbed him by the head and twisted. A sickening crunch and tearing noise followed by a gush of blood filled the room. The body of the nearly decapitated elf was dropped unceremoniously to the floor with a thump. Bile rose in the back of Tony’s throat at the sight, the metallic smell of blood making him gag. He looked away. He tried to block out the pleading sobs from his captor. Another pungent stench hit him straight in the nose, making him glance up again. Loki was holding the blond by the throat. The elf wasn’t struggling anymore, a damp spot trickling down his leg. He’d pissed himself. A small puddle was forming onto the ground, making Loki drag him away a bit. Loki spun him around, making him look at the human on the floor. He growled. “He is MINE! You touched what is mine… Any last words, Elf?” Tears and snot leak out of the blond’s face as he whimpered pathetically, mumbling apologies and begging for his life. 

Tony blinked. ‘Loki’s?’ He thought. He didn’t remember signing over ownership to him. The whole situation was terrifying. At that moment, he wasn’t sure if he would have rather been sold to an unknown party or be claimed like this by Loki. Claimed like some sort of toy. He sought out eye contact with his saviour, attempting to calm him. He sighed. “Loki. It’s fine. Just get over here and help me out of these. We’ll just leave. If you let him live, he can spread the word to other scumbags not to mess with us.” 

Loki looked down at him. His expression softened a tad. He was still growling however. “You’re right. He doesn’t need extra limbs however. Want to eat elf tonight?” 

The blond gasped, choking on a sob and closing his eyes. Tony just groaned. Giving Loki a shaky smile, he kept his voice calm. “I’m not really feeling up for more blood right now. Unless you want me to throw up all over the place.” He gave him a pleading look, uncaring how pathetic he felt about it. 

Loki huffed. He dropped the elf and crushed his right shoulder with one hard stomp. The elf howled in pain, only stopping when Loki kicked him unconscious. He stood there for a bit, taking deep breaths and collecting himself. Luckily when he walked over to free Tony, he looked more composed, more like himself. It made Tony’s muscles relax slightly. He was surprisingly gentle while untying the rope. The chain got broken with his bare hands, first ripping it out the wall, then burrowing his fingernails into the clasp of the collar and pulling it open. As he was freed, Tony’s body decided to give up. He swayed and slumped over. Loki caught him, pulling him to his feet. His touch surprisingly gentle, he murmured: “Are you alright?”, and checked him over for injuries. 

Tony cleared his throat and pulled away a bit. He didn’t meet Loki’s eyes as he steadied himself. The Jotun was watching him closely. He didn’t look as fearsome any longer. Stark slumped forwards again and leaned against him. He looked pale and exhausted, even his goatee looked tired somehow. “Yeah… Just… I need a nap, a bottle of bourbon and a cheeseburger. Not necessarily in that order.” A warm feeling spread through Tony for Loki. He came back for him. This was one of the only times someone saved him for once. He never really expected it. Perks of being a superhero genius made it so everyone, him included, supposes he would always save himself. And Tony is sure he could have saved himself again. He would have. He was self sufficient that way. But it was nice for once to be saved. Not that he wanted to admit such a thing, especially not to Loki. He blinked as he was pulled closer to him. 

The god pressed his nose into the crook of the smaller man’s neck. A low growl made him shiver. “Do not. Wander off again.” Loki grumbled, scenting him. “You’re supposed to follow me if I wander off.”

Tony snorted and prodded him gently in the ribs. “That sounds unfair. I’m not a dog, how about if I wander off YOU follow ME?” 

“I was hunting. I can’t keep my eyes on you if I’m chasing something. You don’t wish to starve, do you?” He didn’t give Tony any time to respond before continuing, eyes glittering mischievously. “Adding to that, you’re not very good at hunting.” 

“Hey!” Tony narrowed his eyes. “Yes I am. I’m a good shot and hunter, thank you very much.” 

Loki snorted. It always surprised Tony when the god did something as inelegant as that. It made him seem more human. He liked that. “Right. Anyways, let’s steal some stuff.” He looked around. “This elf was a good hunter, he must have some useful gadgets. And I must say his door was annoyingly well built and protected. If it were not for the magic enwoven into the wood I would have broken in quicker. How did you get here?” He walked around, grabbing a large cloth bag and swept some useful things into it. He didn’t bother stepping around the unconscious elf in the process. 

Tony rubbed his aching wrists as he watched Loki briefly study a dagger before pocketing it. “Eh…He turned invisible and hit me over the head. Sorry it’s not a more thrilling tale.” 

Loki frowned. “Invisibility. Hm…” He started searching around more thoroughly, finally finding what he wanted, in the trouser pocket of the elf. He made a pleased noise as he pulled out a small round device, which greatly resembled a pocket watch. He showed it to Tony. “With this we’ll make it out of here completely unnoticed.” He explained. “It has been stolen from an Asgardian visitor I believe. Looks like it still has enough magic left for a few invisibility spells. I can sense it…” He trailed off, expression growing sad and angry for a moment. He was clearly struggling with the loss of his own magic. 

Tony hummed, attempting to get Loki’s mind off of it. “How does it work?” 

Loki looked up at him. He swallowed and schooled his facial features back to neutral. “Ah well. It is quite simple to work with. You turn this little button on the side three times to the left, then back when you want to cancel the spell prematurely. It should naturally work for an hour before reverting by itself.” 

Tony nodded and smiled a little, making a mental note to ask a lot more questions about the workings of it later. 

Loki sighed. “Go find some clothes in the other room. I need new pants.” 

Tony’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh. But their fashion sense is atrocious! All that long ass swirly fabric… How don’t they trip over themselves every second?” 

Loki huffed out a chuckle. “Not everyone is as unpolished as you Stark. Now hurry!” 

Tony slinked off into the other room to collect clothes while Loki kept grabbing things. He managed to find money, snacks and more weapons. When a backpack was full, he swung it over his shoulder and headed into the other room to see what was keeping the mortal so long. He found him wrestling with a cloak, trying to get it on the right way. He had taken off his dirty clothes and put on a harem style pair of green trousers and a long wide sleeved brown shirt. Loki laughed and grabbed at him, helping him get the cloak on correctly. Tony scowled, cheeks flushed. “I’m not a kid needing help to get dressed!” 

Loki smirked as he also stripped down. “Could have fooled me.” Tony couldn’t help peeking as he redressed as well. Loki’s new outfit was much the same as his but fit him unfairly well, the frost giant being at least as tall as an elf. Where Tony’s new clothes were baggy in certain areas, Loki’s shirt clung snugly to him, showing off his slender figure.   
They grabbed their old clothes and tested the invisibility device when they decided they had gathered enough stuff. Now they had Elven outfits it would make them blend in more easily if they came across others. Luckily no one had come to investigate the house yet. Loki who was carrying most of the stuff, clicked the button on the ‘watch’. He promptly disappeared. 

Tony stared in awe. 

“Does it work?” Loki’s voice asked. 

Tony nodded, grinning. “Yup. Now you’ve gone all predator. If I suddenly see three little red laser dots, imma bounce!” He flinched a little as his arm was grabbed gently by Loki, making him go invisible as well. Tony laughed in amazement as he looked down at his invisible self. “Wow! This is weird as fuck.” 

Loki hummed in agreement. “Yes. As long as you hold onto me, you’ll be invisible. Everything I’m carrying as well. He heard Tony’s stomach growling painfully and handed him two of the cookies he’d found. Then he started pulling him towards the back door. As they walked outside, they noticed the commotion. People were running around, trying to find the angry blue alien. Tony grunted as he shoved one of the dry biscuits into his mouth, trying not to trip over his own feet. He got shushed harshly, the hand on his arm tightening uncomfortably. How Loki was dragging him and nearly all their stuff, Tony didn’t know. They nearly bowled over a wailing child and their tired looking mother in the ruckus. Tony took a risk and reached out, dropping his remaining cookie into the child’s pocket before moving on. He grinned as he heard the kid stop crying in confusion, then further away heard him laughing happily. Armed men were searching every house. After a while, when they’d put the village behind them, they stopped. Tony shook off Loki’s grip. He glanced down his own body, sighing happily. He decided he rather enjoyed being able to see himself. It took his companion a moment to regain visibility again. Loki’s face suddenly appeared, glowering down at him. He looked annoyed. 

Tony stared back at him. Feeling still a little dazed and surprised at Loki’s rescue. Nearly as surprised as he felt at being claimed so viciously by him. Now he had time to think about it, Loki did seem to be the type not to share his toys. That was probably why he had even bothered searching for him. Now, whether or not he was the type to break his own toys… He hummed. “So…What now?”

Loki looked around. After he’d orientated himself, he answered. “We’re well on our way towards the big city. We may as well pass there now. We shall pick up better supplies there.” He spotted a small stable hidden between the trees and headed towards it. A large, healthy looking horse stood before it, grazing peacefully. Loki smiled. He had always had a soft spot for animals, although none could compare to his Sleipnir. He shook his head to rid himself of the anger and loss he felt thinking about his son. Focusing his attention back onto the beautiful chestnut stallion before them, he approached it slowly. The horse’s head perked up, its attention firmly focused onto him. Loki smiled. He bowed his head for a moment, murmuring to it. “No need to fear us. We merely need your help. Would you be able to carry us away from here?” The horse neighed not too loudly after staring at him for a moment. 

Tony had the feeling it could understand Loki perfectly, and that they were communicating without words. ‘Damned magic,’ he thought. He wondered how it all worked. His fingers itched for his lab and a chance to delve into the science behind magic. Loki had told him Odin had taken his away, but he was still doing remarkably interesting things. The ice bending and talking to horses… It made Tony’s curiosity boner tingle. 

He blinked as Loki shook him out of his musings. “Can you horseback ride?” he asked. 

Tony stared at him. He tensed up, turning his incredulous gaze on the horse. “…The only things I know how to ride are vehicles, my suits, roller skates and cocks. I’m not climbing on that thing.” 

Loki scoffed, then smirked. He grabbed him by the arm and dragged him closer to the animal. 

Tony groaned. His hesitation got him an eyeroll in response. 

“Fine." Loki piled their bags and the invisibility gadget onto him before starting to get the horse ready. He put on the saddle with great ease. Keeping a gentle tone of voice, he attached the bags on it. Then, he made sure the invisibility device was attached carefully to the horse. Before Tony could make his escape he grabbed him and promptly hoisted him onto the big saddle. 

“Hey!” Tony protested. He nearly squirmed out of his seat. 

“Stay put, Stark.” Loki climbed on gracefully, causing Tony to slide backwards so he’s behind him. With a click they were once again invisible. 

As the horse started to move, Tony felt his stomach twirl. It looked like they were floating very fast, even though he could still feel the saddle under his butt and Loki’s back against him. He gripped the back of his shirt tightly. Groaning, he pressed his forehead against him. “I’m not so sure about this. It’s alive, breathing and between my legs.” 

Loki sniffed. “Don’t whine. It’s this, or walking.” The smaller man sighed and went limp. He wrapped his arms around him tightly. Wondering how much more of a beating his masculinity could take, he focused on not falling off. They sped further away from the village safely. 

 

After two fast paced hours, they slowed down. Tony was keeping up a steady stream of whining, mostly about his butt hurting. Loki ignored him. He petted the horse’s mane, seeming to be in a very good mood. “Sorry for taking you from your owner, sweetheart. We’ll take good care of you.” The horse snorted, turning its head to lip at his trousers. 

When they were going slow enough, Tony jumped off. “Ugh…We’re keeping it?” He felt happy to be able to see himself again, although talking to an invisible horse and Loki felt weird. 

“Yes, until we reach the city. It’ll probably take two days, if you get back on the saddle now.” 

Tony shuddered dramatically. “Help. Why. My butt’s going to fall off. Can’t you just carry me?” 

Loki sighed deeply at his dramatic behaviour. “Stark, do you wish to get off of this realm as quickly as possible?” 

“Of course! They don’t have junk food here… It’s sad.” Suddenly Loki and the horse appeared again, the device ran out of magic. Tony felt a bit flushed at his expression. He looked so done with him. 

“You can walk, sure. If you can keep up.” 

Tony sighed. He grumbled but let Loki pull him onto the horse again. 

The Jotun smiled slightly, oddly enough, having forgotten to take on his Asgardian appearance. Tony reminded him just in case they came across someone else. 

They continued their journey towards the mountains, while chatting a bit more than usual.


	8. Announcement

Hello everyone :)

First of all, my girlfriend and I would like to thank all of you for leaving such sweet comments and kudos. You're all so amazing!

  
We've been continuing this fic without posting it online, because as some of you remember, we do it in a roleplaying format and then rewrite all of it afterwards.

  
UPDATE: The rewriting of the (already posted) chapters has been finished!! :D Soon an actual new chapter will be posted!

 

Since vacation has kind of started for me already (hahah, gotta work still though), I might try to make some actual good art for this fic. (maybe comics or animations even?)

I do make a lot of random FrostIron stuff in general. If you're curious you can check out my tumblr --> http://lykusio.tumblr.com

 

If you guys wanna suggest any moments out of the fic which you would like me to draw out, you're always welcome to!

 

Thanks again!


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